Fen'Tarasyl
by Crescent Jones
Summary: Talyn doesn't know who she is. The only clues to her past are her strange tattoos and a green mark on her hand that feels foreign. Like it doesn't belong to her. Solas, an apostate mage with burning silver eyes is her only comfort in a world she doesn't recognize, yet is tasked with saving.
1. Chapter 1

Cold water splashing on Talyn brought her from the world of dreams. She gasped, sitting up and turning her head to see the culprit. A tall woman with short, dark hair and a scar across her cheek was staring at her with dark, narrowed eyes.

"Who are you?!" The woman demanded.

Talyn pulled back the threadbare blanket that had been covering her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her eyes widened at the sight of the pale blue swirls that adorned her bare legs and arms. She didn't have time to process what they were doing on her body though.

"Well? Answer me!" The woman shouted.

Talyn pushed her hair from her forehead and rubbed her temples, squeezing her eyes shut.

"F..." Why couldn't she remember her own name?

"Ff?" When Talyn opened her eyes, she saw the dark haired woman leaning forward, her face in Talyn's. "Fff what? Spit it out!"

"T-Talyn?" She said it like a question, her voice cracking with panic at the realization that she couldn't remember anything from before she was rudely woken up.

Suddenly, there was the sound of thunder and searing pain burned her hand, the burning sensation shooting up her arm. Talyn cried out in pain, falling to her knees on the floor, her right hand clutching her left. With wide eyes she looked down at her palm, and saw a bright green, jagged mark that shimmered dangerously with magic.

The dark haired woman bent down and grabbed Talyn's marked hand. "Explain this." She demanded.

"I can't." Talyn responded, flexing her marked hand, hoping to shake out the pain.

"What happened at the Temple of Sacred Ashes?"

"I don't know. I can't remember."

"You're lying!" The woman growled, lunging for Talyn. Talyn flinched, raising her hands to protect her face from whatever the woman was about to do.

A hand shot out from the shadows, holding onto the woman's armored shoulder. "Cassandra, we need her."

Talyn hadn't even seen the woman in the corner of the room, her face shrouded by the hood of her cloak, only a pale red braid peeking out from beneath it. The same eye adorned both her cloak and Cassandra's armor.

Cassandra looked at her, and sighed. "You're right, Leiliana. As always."

Cassandra turned back to Talyn. "Moments after the Temple of Sacred Ashes explodes, you step out of a rift with that mark on your hand. What else are we supposed to think, other than that you're the one who caused the explosion? The one who killed Divine Justinia and everyone who attended the Conclave?"

Talyn stood to her feet, and looked up at the tall round eared woman, right in her dark, angry eyes. "I'm telling you the truth! I didn't do this. If anything, I'm a victim. Whatever happened in that temple erased my memories!"

Another crack of thunder ensued, and that same, throbbing pain burned her hand and arm, causing her to fall to her knees again. The mark started to glow, and expand on her hand just a bit more.

She saw Cassandra and Leiliana exchange a look. "Go to the forward camp, Leiliana. I will take the prisoner to the rift."

"This 'prisoner' has a name." Talyn hissed.

Leiliana nodded, and left the room. Cassandra turned back to Talyn with that same distrustful glare. She walked to a table in the corner of the room and picked up something leather. She tossed it at Talyn, and she caught it. It was leather armor.

But it didn't seem to look like regular leather armor. It was the deepest shade of black, so dark that it seemed to suck all the light in the room. There were no other markings, no insignia or design. Along with the armor, Cassandra tossed a matching mask, one that was supposed to cover the bottom half of her face.

"You were wearing that when you stepped out of the rift. The healer had to take it off of you to heal your wounds. Put it on."

Talyn stared at the ebony armor for a moment, hoping for a spark of familiarity. But there was none. She set the armor on the bed and took off the nightgown she was wearing. She couldn't help her smug satisfaction when Cassandra blushed and averted her gaze.

There was a full-length mirror leaning against one of the walls. When Talyn caught a glimpse of her appearance, she gasped.

The pale blue swirls she had seen on her legs and arms were all over her body. They ran up her toned stomach, over her breasts, her shoulders, up her neck and even framed her face. She turned to look at her back, where there were indeed more pale blue marks.

That wasn't all that surprised her, though. She was beautiful. Long, pale golden hair cascaded down her back and shoulders to her waist. Her eyes were the color of the sky, and angled like a cat's. She had high cheekbones, full lips, and her pointed ears that slightly stuck out of her hair were adorned with several golden earrings.

It was as she had been sculpted by an artist. Blessed by a god.

She heard Cassandra scoff. "Stop staring at yourself and get dressed, we have no time to lose."

Talyn shot a glare at her captor and did as she was told. She fumbled with the armor, causing Cassandra to sigh and cross the room to help her. She said something rude about how one shouldn't wear armor if they couldn't put it on by themselves, which made Talyn's face beet red.

Roughly, Cassandra tied Talyn's hands together with rope. She didn't protest, mostly because Cassandra was right. She was a prisoner. Whatever happened now was out of her control.

"It's just until we enter the valley." Cassandra explained. "It will make the people feel safe."

Cassandra led Talyn through what looked to be a temple, and out into the world.

The first thing Talyn saw was a nightmare in the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

There wasn't a cloud in the sky, but a massive black hole rimmed with the emerald color of the Fade.

Cassandra studied Talyn's reaction to seeing the rip in the Veil.

"We call it the Breach." She explained, grabbing Talyn's arm and pulling her along. "It is not the only rift, just the largest. With every passing moment it grows larger. It may soon swallow the world if we don't stop it."

Talyn didn't miss the dirty looks everyone gave her as they passed through the village. She heard the whispers, the accusations. She kept her eyes forward, held her head high. She did nothing wrong. She wasn't a murderer. She may not be able to remember who she truly was, or what happened at this Temple of Sacred Ashes, but she did know that.

Cassandra tugged on her arm impatiently. Talyn turned her attention back to Cassandra.

"We think your mark may be able to close the Breach."

Another crack of thunder had Talyn on the snow covered ground, squeezing her eyes shut and crying out as the pain ran it's course through her. Black dots swam across her vision.

Cassandra knelt in front of her, not an ounce of sympathy on her face. "The pulses are coming faster. Your mark is connected to all this, and it's killing you."

"You still think I did this? To myself?" Talyn asked through gritted teeth.

Cassandra helped her to her feet, her lips a tight line. "Obviously something went wrong."

She pulled out a knife and cut the rope that bound Talyn's hands together.

"I'll help in any way I can." Talyn told her sincerely.

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at her, and then looked straight ahead. "There will be a trial. I can promise no more."

She started to walk again. Talyn followed, rubbing her wrists as they continued their walk across the icy stone bridge. Cassandra called for the guards to open the gate, and they passed through into the snowy valley.

"Where are we going?" Talyn asked.

"You'll see." Was Cassandra's curt reply.

As soon as Talyn recovered from the pain the Breach was causing her, they started to run. Talyn kept up with Cassandra's neck breaking speed easily. In fact, Talyn could have pushed herself to go faster if she had wanted to.

She considered it. From here she could run away. They still suspected her of causing all of this, and she knew that they weren't going to just let her go at that trial. Not if she couldn't remember anything. They would most likely kill her. The smartest option was to get away while she still had the chance.

But there was a giant hole in the sky that was spitting balls of green fire. If she could help, if this emerald mark on her hand could truly save these people, shouldn't she stay and do it? And even if she did run, Talyn had no idea where she was from. She had no idea where to go, or what to do.

No, she needed to stay.

Just as they were crossing another stone bridge, a ball of green light fell from the sky and struck it, shattering the ancient stone.

Talyn and Cassandra tumbled to the iced over river below. Talyn landed hard on her ass. As she scrambled to her feet, demons started to appear. They were coming at them from all sides, shoving themselves through the Veil as if it didn't exist at all. Cassandra unsheathed her sword and started to cut them down, but Talyn was left defenseless.

She started to panic as they noticed her standing there. As the demons approached her, sliding across the ice like over-grown slugs, she noticed a bow and a quiver of arrows leaning against an overturned cart.

Adrenaline was flowing through her veins now, and her blue tattoos started to glow. Talyn acted purely on instinct, diving for the bow and quiver. She climbed to the top of the rubble and withdrew an arrow, knocking it into the bow and aiming. The world seemed to slow down as she let the arrow fly, and it embedded itself in a demon's eye.

Holding this bow felt right. It felt like the bow was an extension of her, an irreplaceable body part. Her heart leaped and soared with every arrow, her vision honed in on each target, like she had the eyes of a hawk. Each arrow she let loose hit it's intended target, and the demons around her dropped like flies.

It was over much too soon for Talyn. She jumped down from the rubble and slung the bow on her back. She made her way over to Cassandra, a massive grin on her face from her newfound talent.

Her elation was short lived as Cassandra pointed her sword at Talyn, a warrior's snarl on her face. "Drop your weapon!" She demanded.

The thought of losing the bow, although it was poorly made, nearly sent Talyn into a panic.

"If you're going to lead me through a demon infested valley, you're just going to have to trust me." Talyn snarled right back. It was the most logical reason to keep the bow.

It took Cassandra a moment as she thought about what Talyn said. But then, her face relaxed and she stood up straight, sheathing her bow. There was a look of resignation on her face.

"You are right. I cannot protect you." She turned to restart their trek. "I should remember that you came willingly." She said over her shoulder.

"Damn right you should remember that." Talyn said under her breath as they began to run again.

Talyn could hear the shouting, and sound of metal slicing through the air, and picked up the pace. Soon they came upon a battle, with demons pouring out of a green, jagged door floating in the air.

Her head hurt as images of a broken scene flashed through her mind. Of a golden figure reaching out to her. Shoving her through a door.

Talyn shook her head and lifted her bow.


	3. Chapter 3

Wraiths stood on high ground, throwing their magic made of Fade light at unsuspecting victims. With a few swift arrows, they were silenced, to never walk the world of mortals ever again. Shades fell from her arrows, black blood spewing from their wounds like the fountains of Hell.

She ran to stand where the wraiths once stood, making the wounded sky rain omens of death.

Down below she could see Cassandra fighting alongside a short man with a crossbow, along with other soldiers who bore a uniform that was foreign to Talyn.

There was a growl behind her. She turned to see a shade reaching for her, an unending hunger in its black eyes. She ducked as it swiped it's deadly claws at her, quickly reaching into her quiver. Her body started to pleasantly burn as her pale blue markings started to glow, along with the arrow. She thrusted the arrow up, piercing the shade's oily skin. A high-pitched scream emitted from the shade, and it fell dead to the frosted ground, blue fire licking at the fist-sized puncture wound.

Talyn didn't have time to marvel at what had just happened. She looked down at the battle below her, drawing another arrow.

Then she saw him.

A lone elf standing near the rift, wielding a staff. He moved with the grace of a seasoned warrior, his attention solely focused on the foes that were starting to surround him. No one on the battlefield saw that the mage was getting overwhelmed with demons. No one saw, or they didn't care.

Talyn reacted without thought. She dropped the bow in her hand, the bow that just a few moments ago meant the entire world to her, and jumped from her perch above the fight, twisting so she landed on her feet. Her mark throbbed with the nearness of the rift. As she ran to his aid, she bent to the ground and picked up a long forgotten sword, the weight in her hand being just as familiar as the bow. With her markings glowing, she charged right into the line of demons.

They stumbled backwards, breaking their wall that surrounded the mage. And Talyn fought with a viciousness she had no idea she possessed. Like the bow, it was as if the sword was an extension of herself. It was as if it was a sentient being that knew her every thought before she did.

Her body thrummed with energy, it's origin unknown. All she knew was that she had to help the elvhen mage beside her. Nothing else was more important to her.

She cut down a shade before it could strike the elf from behind. That seemed to break his concentration. He turned to look at her. When their eyes met, time stopped.

He was beautiful, even when he was coated in dirt and blood. There was something so familiar about his eyes that were as dark and grey as a stormy sea. She could almost see the violent waves and deadly lightning in them. There was a cut on his forehead that was dripping blood into his eye. Unthinkingly, Talyn reached up and brushed some of the blood off his face, as if she had done it a thousand times before.

He looked like he had seen a ghost. He was so still that not even a boulder could budge him, his eyes trained on Talyn. But at her touch, he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

Then the world came crashing down around them. Talyn tore her hand out of his and shouted a warning. The elf turned around and held out his hand. An ice spike flew from his hand and into the demon.

The elf then turned back to Talyn. He reached down and grabbed her left hand, holding it up to the rift. There was a burst of light, and something pulled at Talyn's hand. Then the rift was no more.

He lingered for a moment before letting go of her hand, but he didn't stop staring at her with that look on his face, like he had seen the sun for the first time. Talyn couldn't help but stare back at him. He was mesmerizing, like a statue come to life.

They only tore their eyes away from each other when the short man and Cassandra came jogging up to them.

"Well, I guess that answers the question of whether or not we can save the world." The short man commented. He grinned at Talyn. "My name is Varric Tethras, at your service."

Cassandra scoffed.

Talyn looked between the two of them. "Are you with... them?" She gestured towards Cassandra.

The elf and Varric laughed.

"With the Chantry?" Varric asked.

"Is that a serious question?"

Talyn turned to see the elf smiling at her.

"And who are you?" Talyn asked.

That smile, that happiness that made him glow, it all fell away as her question registered in his mind. But it was so fleeting, Talyn wasn't even sure that she saw it.

"My name is Solas."

"What he really means though, is 'I'm the one who kept that mark from killing you.' The green one, that is, not the lyrium." Varric said.

Talyn looked at Varric with a frown. "Lyrium?"

Varric looked confused. "Your glowing tattoo? It's lyrium. Shouldn't you know this already?"

Talyn's gaze dropped to the ground. "I don't remember anything that happened before this morning."

There was a moment of heavy silence.

"Thank you, for saving me." Talyn looked up at Solas.

He just smiled. "Let's keep you alive, shall we?"

"We must hurry to the forward camp." Cassandra broke the silence. "I pray to the Maker that Leiliana made it."


	4. Chapter 4

The entire trek up to the forward camp, Solas stayed by Talyn's side. Through every battle they fought, Solas was right there, as if he had appointed himself as her protector. Talyn didn't mind his proximity, if only because she felt like she was being pulled towards him. Like there was some invisible line that connected the two of them, and when they wandered too far the line went taut and yanked them back together.

"So you remember nothing from your past? Not your parents, your childhood?" Solas asked after another battle with demons.

He didn't even look winded, as if the magic wall of ice and the balls of frozen fire he had been conjuring didn't phase him. Like he could fight demons all day. Whereas Talyn was starting to tire. She envied his energy.

She shook her head. "Some things feel familiar to me. Like the bow, and the sword. I feel as if they are a part of me. However, my body obeys the command of instincts I don't remember acquiring."

Solas was quiet for a long while after that, deep in thought.

"Maybe it's the lyrium that made you forget." Varric chipped in, his crossbow draped across his shoulders as they walked. "I know an elf who used to be a slave in Tevinter. His master was a power-hungry magister that liked to play god, so he took my friend and marked him with lyrium. The pain caused him to forget his life before the lyrium."

"It's not the lyrium that made you forget. Those markings are too old." Solas said. "You walked the Fade in your physical form. You should be dead. The fact that you are not is all thanks to the emerald mark on your palm."

"So... You're saying that whatever happened at that Conclave thing is what took away my memory?" Talyn asked.

"It's the most logical explanation." Solas replied.

"But still, only a mage can burn lyrium into another person. And we all know you're not a mage." Varric spoke.

"So am I a slave? Like your friend?" Talyn turned to Varric.

Varric shrugged. "Possibly. But slavery is outlawed everywhere except in Tevinter."

Cassandra interceded. "Which means, either you are truly innocent, or whoever your master is, they are the cause for the Divine's death."

Talyn sighed. "I don't even know what the Conclave is. How could I have caused it?"

"Was. The Conclave was a meeting between the rebel mages and the Templars, to try and find peace on both sides and stop the bloodshed." Cassandra explained.

"Mages aren't allowed to leave the Circle, which the Templar's guard. But the Circle had become something darker than it's original purpose, courtesy of a certain Knight-Commander. Mages were being made Tranquil left and right, locked in their cells and never allowed to come out, that sort of thing. Finally the mages said enough. But the war hadn't started until after Blondie blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall, the idiot." Varric explained further to Talyn after seeing her confused expression. "A war between the mages and Templars probably wouldn't have even been needed if he didn't do that."

Cassandra scoffed. "The mages were out of line. They're magic is to-"

They were approaching what looked to be a camp, men and women in armor walking with purpose in their steps. That stopped the conversation, and left Talyn much to think about later.

They approached a woman with pale red hair, Leiliana, and a man. They were both standing over a map, arguing about something. The man was short, with graying hair and a look that could wither flowers.

The man pointed to Talyn, and shouted, "seize the murderer!"

Solas, who was standing by Talyn's side, tensed, gripping his staff tighter and maneuvering himself so that he was standing somewhat in front of Talyn. She adjusted her hold on the stolen sword she was carrying, squaring her shoulders, preparing herself for a fight. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Varric doing the same thing.

"Stand down." Cassandra ordered the men who were unsheathing their swords and advancing towards Talyn. They stopped, confusion written all over their faces, and looked between the man and Cassandra. It was a strained moment, where Talyn's life was left in the hands of the gods. Finally, they sheathed their swords and stepped back.

Talyn exhaled a deep breath she didn't know she was holding

.

The man's face turned a nice shade of purple. "What is the meaning of this? She needs to be sent to Val Royeaux for execution!" The man shouted at Cassandra.

"Roderick, we need her. She is the only one that has any hope of closing the Breach." Cassandra explained to the Chancellor.

"What if she's the one who caused it? You can't just blindly trust an elf!"

"This elf is more trustworthy than you are at the moment Roderick. We can have a trial for her after we seal the Breach."

"What in Thedas do you mean, the elf is more-"

Roderick would have continued shouting, but Cassandra held up a hand. She made some sort of gesture, and the two guards who were going to shackle Talyn made there way to Roderick. "I don't have time to deal with you, Roderick. We're busy saving the world. We can discuss what to do with her after we close the Breach."

Roderick's face went from a deep shade of purple to stark white, his lips pressed into a thin line and his eyes becoming bloodshot with rage. As the soldiers grabbed his arms and dragged him away from the table, he shouted some rather obscene terms to Cassandra, which she gracefully ignored.

Cassandra leaned against the table, looking down at the map. "Leiliana, which way is the best route to get the Breach?"

Varric and Leiliana joined her at the table, but Talyn stayed back. She looked down at the blue tattoos that coated her bare hands, and the emerald mark that rested on her palm, it's shimmering light dulled only by the momentary calmness of the tear in the sky. At any moment the sky would unleash it's rage once again and leave Talyn in a blithering mess on the ground, crying and squirming as the pain took over her body.

She thought back to Cassandra's words, how the mark was killing her.

She closed her hand into a fist.

And then cried out, as the Breach shook the world and the mark on her hand flared. She dropped her stolen sword and fell to the ground, holding her hand with her other hand as she bowed her head and gritted her teeth. The fire was so intense, it burned her hand, then it burned her entire body.

Cool fingers brushed the hair from her forehead. Comforting words in a different language were spoken low in her ear. The owner of the cool hands held onto her Marked hand gently. She just kept her eyes squeezed shut and rode the wave of pain until it came crashing down onto the rocks of her mind and she was herself again. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into two pools of silver. He was still holding onto her hand.

"There isn't much time left." Solas said in a worried tone, his eyes trained on Talyn.

"We'll take the mountain pass." Cassandra said as Solas helped Talyn to her feet.

"It's dangerous." Leiliana warned. "We've lost a countless number of men on that pass."

Cassandra nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, but it's faster. And we don't have a lot of time."


	5. Chapter 5

"Here."

Cassandra jogged up to Talyn and handed her a bow and quiver. It was a simple bow, the pale wood smooth and worn down with use. It was an upgrade from the one Talyn had abandoned at the rift. Talyn nodded in thanks.

They stood at the entrance to the mountain pass, the biting wind blowing Talyn's long hair every which way. When Cassandra rejoined the group, they started walking up the narrow path, each side of it lined with massive, ice covered rocks. The further up the mountain they went, the darker it seemed to become, as if the mountain was sucking the life out of the living things that walked it's treacherous paths.

There was no time to talk. They moved as fast as the snow would let them. Talyn's lungs burned as the icy air stabbed her throat and froze her insides. With each passing moment, she felt herself growing more weak. The mark was sapping all her energy like a parasite, leaving Talyn with nothing but a husk of what she was.

Solas was by her side, ever so watchful, as if he was afraid she would turn to dust and fly away with the wind. Whenever Talyn stumbled, Solas caught her.

His words echoed in her head. " _You should be dead."_

"You don't have to help me." Talyn said, fighting to make her voice steady and strong.

"I know." He said, and yet he wouldn't leave her still.

They came upon the entrance into an ancient temple, it's caved in roof creaking dangerously as the sky started to rain it's frozen tears once more. On the ground in front of the entrance, the bodies of soldiers with armor nearly matching Cassandra's were sprawled about, blood pooling underneath their bodies.

Talyn had her bow in her hand, an arrow already in its place. Everyone else followed suit.

Cassandra met everyone's eyes. "Be ready." She warned them.

"Is there a rift?" Cassandra asked quietly.

Leiliana gave her a look that said "does it look like I know?"

They entered the ruins cautiously, each member of the party on alert for the demons that slaughtered the scouts. In the silence, there was the crackling sound of a fire echoing off the temple walls, but there was no smoke to show the existence of one. Talyn's mark started to burn. But it didn't give off the pain that she had been experiencing all day. It was a pleasant burn, one that warmed her and pulled her by some unknown force.

But then a crack of thunder from above sent Talyn to her knees, her bow clattering gracelessly to the stone. Pain shot through her arm, fraying her nerves, making it impossible to stand. She squeezed her eyes shut and breathed through the pain. She could hear voices, but they were muffled, like she was trying to hear them under water.

Cool fingers brushed her forehead, tucked her hair behind her pointed ear. She heard a whisper in a familiar language in her ear, felt someone's hand grasp hers, the one that was burning. The pain stopped almost as soon as it had begun.

She opened her eyes and met a pair of brilliant silver eyes set in a handsome, Elvhen face.

"Are you alright?" Solas asked her.

She nodded. It was all she could do.

Solas helped her to her feet, and handed her the bow. She nodded in thanks and took it from him, knocking an arrow into the bow. The others were staring at her with similar worry.

"I'm fine." Talyn managed to say to them.

They continued their descent into the ruins, deep down where the darkness consumed them.

"Did anyone bother to bring a torch?" Varric asked.

The darkness was unnerving Talyn. She wished they had brought light, so that they would know what enemies awaited them in the darkness. Moments after she thought this, Talyn's skin lit up like fireflies. The markings glowed in the darkness, giving light where once there was none. She had to stop herself from stopping in the middle of that long tunnel to admire herself. She had no idea how she was doing it. Even Varric whistled low.

"Fenris couldn't do that." He said to no one in particular.

She was called to the front of the group, so her light could guide them through the dark. And still, that sizzling sound sounded throughout the halls.

"Cassandra, are you sure we're supposed to be in here?" Leiliana asked her.

"Yeah, Seeker, this place is giving me the heebie jeebies." Varric chimed in.

"We are supposed to go through the ruins. We are almost to the Temple of Sacred Ashes, just bear the darkness for a bit longer." Cassandra told them.

Soon, there was a light at the end of what seemed to be a long tunnel. Talyn sighed in relief, her heart lifting at the thought that they were almost out of the ruins.

Then, the sound grew louder.

 _Pop! Crack! Pop!_

The source of the crackling grew nearer, and the mark on Talyn's hand seemed to burn more intensely, pulling Talyn along. With each step closer to the sound the tension in the group seemed to grow. As they reached the light, it took on a sickly green color, like the color on her hand.

Like the Breach in the sky.

A deep, inhuman growl came from behind them. They all whirled around to see one of the largest Rage demons Talyn had ever seen, it's molten skin glowing a bright red, it's mouth opened wide, it's eyes burning with rage. It swiped at Solas, but he neatly dodged the attack, and sent an ice spike in it's direction.

Cassandra let out a war cry and charged, with Leiliana not far behind her, while Talyn and Varric raised their weapons and let the sky rain fire. The intensity of the pleasant burn Talyn had been feeling grew, until it was no longer pleasant, just uncomfortable. Soon, the rage demon was dead, and Talyn ran quickly to the rift, shutting it with one gesture from her Marked hand before anymore could come out of it. As the rift closed, the burn in her hand disappeared.

"The demons are becoming stronger." Solas pointed out. "We must hurry and get to the Breach, before we cannot fight them."

"Let's hurry!" Cassandra commanded, and they started to run.

Soon, Talyn was breathing the fresh, crisp air of the mountain, the wind freezing her face. They stood at the top of a path that descended down the mountain, and from here Talyn could see the ruins of what was once a very large building, the stone and wood still smoldering from whatever burned it to the ground.

Soon, they entered the ruins of what was the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

Ashes still floated in the air, and with every step she made clouds of ash puffed at her feet. All around her, Talyn saw the burned bodies of the innocents caught in the explosion, their arms raised to their charred faces as if they could protect themselves from the fire and the debris. The sheer terror and pain etched on their petrified faces was enough to force Talyn to look away. It was as silent as a graveyard.

No. Not a graveyard. A tomb.

Cassandra and Leiliana exchanged mournful glances. But no one said a word. It was like they couldn't. Like the temple not only took the lives of the stone corpses surrounding the him, but the voices of the living.

The Breach was high in the sky, connected only by a very large rift that hovered above the ground. Giant shards of a red crystal came up from the ground, as if they grew there like trees. There was something strange about the red crystals. Talyn's body seemed to react to it, the lyrium she could see on her hands started to change color, into a light purple.

Talyn jerked away from the lyrium, moving to the other side of Solas to put some distance between her and the red crystals. Her markings returned to their original, lightning blue color.

"Seeker, that's red lyrium." Varric said in a hushed whisper.

"I know, Varric." Cassandra responded.

"But what is it doing here?! Stay away from the stuff, it's evil." Varric warned everyone.

Talyn seconded that.

"I hope you have a plan to get me up there." Talyn gestured towards the Breach.

"We don't need to get you in the sky." Solas explained. "This rift is the first, and it is directly tied to the Breach. We close this rift, we close the Breach. But it seems that it was improperly closed the first time. We need to re-open it, and close it again."

"That means demons. Get ready." Cassandra instructed the soldiers.

"Can you do this?" Solas asked softly in Talyn's ear.

"I'm fine." Talyn replied in a quiet tone, although she knew she wasn't fine. It took everything she had to pull back on her bowstring. She had no idea how she carried on this far.

He didn't look convinced. "Stay by my side, lethallan."

They went to move to the center of the temple, where the rift was.

 _"Bring forth the sacrifice."_ A deep, booming voice thundered above them. Talyn put a hand to her forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. The voice caused her pain.

"Who was that?" Cassandra turned to look at Solas.

"Presumably, the one who caused the Breach, Seeker." He replied. "Talyn, are you alright?"

"My head..." Talyn hissed in pain.

Solas was immediately focused on Talyn. He placed two fingers on her forehead, and his cool magic helped eased Talyn's pain.

 _"Someone, help me!"_

Cassandra and Leiliana gasped.

"The Divine!" Leiliana exclaimed.

There was a sound, like a crack of thunder, and then a thud that echoed throughout the area, and then a confused, angry, familiar voice rang out.

 _"Where am I? What's going on here?"_

Cassandra turned her wide-eyed gaze on Talyn. "That's you! Tell me, what happened?!"

"I don't remember." Talyn spat at her. "I've already told you, I remember nothing up until this morning!"

 _"Run! Warn the others!"_ The Divine begged of Talyn.

 _"Kill the elf!"_ That dark voice commanded.

"The Divine called to you for help..." Cassandra said in disbelief.

"I told you I was innocent."

They reached the rift.

"What do I do?" Talyn asked Solas.

"Just hold out your hand, like you do when you close a rift."

Talyn approached it, and held out her hand, feeling the pulling sensation that came with her Mark, and that uncomfortable, but not painful burn. She could feel the Breach, she could feel its pulse, like it had a heart. It was like she was connected to it, like she _was_ the Breach. It's very essence was her own, her heartbeat even slowed to match the pulse of the Breach.

With a gesture, she reopened the rift. The rift opened with an explosion of green fire, sending Talyn flying backwards and hitting the cold stone of what was once a staircase. Demons poured out of the rift, and fight began.

Talyn jumped back to her feet, letting loose arrows as fast as she could. Shades, wraiths, rage demons, they all came flying out of the rift and setting themselves loose on the world. The roars, the cries of war, and the clashing of steel bounced off of the crumbling stone walls.

It seemed, for a moment, that the demons were outnumbered. The battle was beginning to look like it would be a quick one.

But then the ground shook, toppling a column, and a deep, booming cry sounded, one that shook the very sky. A purple hand with long, deadly black claws that glinted dangerously in the green light of the rift reached out and gripped the edge of the rift, pulling itself into the world of men.

"By Andraste's tits!" Varric swore loudly.

Talyn stood there, transfixed that the monstrous beast that stood before them. Its mouth had razor sharp teeth, and spikes sprouted from its head and down it's spine. It stood nearly as tall as the very temple they were fighting in.

"A pride demon!" Solas shouted. "Talyn! Go to the rift!"

Talyn heard him but couldn't process what he was saying. All she could do was stare at the beast that was stalking it's way towards her, his very footsteps shaking the earth. Her grip on her bow grew lax.

She jumped as Solas grabbed her wrist and nearly dragged her towards the rift, shoving her hand in the green flames.

The world suddenly stopped. Talyn ripped her hand from Solas' grasp. The demons had all stopped, as if they were stunned. The pride demon just stood there, staring blankly ahead of it.

"Hurry, we only have a few moments!" Solas called out.

The soldiers cut down the stunned demons. Just like Solas predicted, a few moments later the demons started to come back to life. Talyn held her hand out to the rift once more, and they stopped moving.

She saw black dots swim across her vision, but she kept at it, every time the demons sprang back to life and started to attack them, she stunned them once more. It took a few times, but the demons, including the pride demon, lay scattered on the floor.

Using the last of Talyn's strength, she waved her hand, feeling the tugging of the rift end at last as it disappeared.

Everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

Talyn woke up in a soft, warm bed. Her head was killing her, but her hand no longer stung with pain. She looked around to see she was in a different room than the room she woke up in yesterday. This one had no bars on the window, and instead of the scratchy, moth-eaten rags that covered her yesterday, there was a soft blanket stuffed with feathers that draped over her. Talyn frowned, squinting her eyes as she tried to recall the events of yesterday. She remembered waking up, remembered her loss of memories, Cassandra, Leiliana, the hairy chested dwarf Varric…

Solas' face flashed in her head. She remembered him the most clearly. Her face turned red at the memory of him kissing her hand. Did that really happen? Or was it just a dream?

She could recall everything that happened up until the beginning of the battle.

There was a clattering of dishes breaking, and Talyn looked to the doorway. An elf, with choppy red hair was standing there, fear and shock on her face.

"M'Lady! You're awake!" She stammered, dropping to her knees and pressing her forehead against the floorboards.

Talyn frowned. "What are you doing?" She asked, her voice dry and hoarse.

"You saved us from the Breach, M'Lady. Everyone saw it." The elf said, from her spot on the floor.

Talyn walked over to her and held out her hand. "Please get up. And why are you calling me that? I'm no lady."

The elf stood up, refusing to take Talyn's hand, her face still pale and her eyes still wide. "M'Lady, you're the Herald of Andraste. You're holy."

"I... what?" Talyn asked, confused.

But the elf was done speaking with her, it seemed. "Seeker Cassandra wants to see you when you wake... in the Chantry, at once she said!" And with that she picked up the tray, not bothering to pick up the broken porcelain on the floor and rushed out of the room.

Talyn frowned again, but followed her out the door, stepping into the freezing mountain air. The sky was black with clouds, but right in the center of the sky, the Breach glowed faintly.

"No." Talyn breathed, dread filling her very core. She had failed. She had failed them all. But Talyn could hear music and laughter and clapping, people shouting to the heavens in celebration. Who would celebrate such a catastrophe? Where were the demons raining from the sky?

The frosted ground crunched underneath Talyn's feet as she nearly ran towards the largest building, hoping that that was the Chantry the elf was talking about.

She nearly ran into Varric.

"Whoa there, Firefly! Slow down." Varric peered up at her panicked eyes. "What's the matter with ya? How long have you been awake?"

"Varric, the Breach! It's still open! We have to get these people-"

Varric held up his hands in a plea for Talyn to be quiet. " Talyn, you didn't close the Breach, but it's stable. Demons aren't coming through it anymore, and the earthquakes and lightning have stopped. You saved us. "

"I… what?"

Varric grinned. "They're calling you the Herald of Andraste now. Saying that the woman behind you in the rift was the Maker's bride herself, saving you from the Temple of Ashes so you could save us all from the Breach."

Talyn looked around her. The people that were walking around the dwarf and elf were staring at Talyn, with reverence stuck in their wide eyes, whispering to each other.

Talyn turned to Varric. "I'm not a hero."

Varric shrugged. "Well they all think you are. Bask in the glory of it, Herald. All of Thedas is in your debt."

He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and started his trek to wherever he was heading.

Talyn's pace was much slower now, but her cheeks burned red. She kept her eyes on the ground in front of her, instead of meeting the eyes of the humans that were staring at her. But then she ran into someone, forcing her to look up. His silver eyes and bald head were hard not to recognize. Although he did look different without the dirt and demon blood all over him.

He smiled at her. "Ah, the Chosen of Andraste, a hero to save us all. You're finally awake."

"Am I riding in on a shining steed?" Talyn responded, the embarrassed sarcasm thick in her voice.

Solas' smile grew wider. "I would have suggested a Griffon, but sadly, they're all extinct." Then he grew serious. "Joke as you will, but posturing is necessary."

He turned to look at the sky. "I've traveled deep into the Fade, in ancient ruins and battlefields to see the dreams of lost civilization. I've watched as hosts of spirits clash to reenact the bloody past in ancient wars both famous and forgotten." He turned his head to look at Talyn once more, a curious sparkle in his eye. "Every great war has it's hero. I'm curious to see what kind you'll be."

Irritation must have shown on her face, because Solas gave her a teasing look. Talyn just looked at the ground and slowly shook her head. "I'm no hero."

"You are. In more ways than I think you realize." Solas lifted her chin, so that she was looking at him and not the ground. At his touch, Talyn's pulse quickened. "How are you feeling, lethallan?"

There was something mesmerizing about his eyes, grey as the sea's stormy waters. Because of his gaze, Talyn blurted the truth without thinking it. "Emotionally? Or physically? Because either way I feel like I was trampled by a herd of halla."

That made him smile bright, with no trace of the guarded look in his eyes this time. His face was brighter than the sun. "You were asleep for ten days."

"Ten days?!" Talyn exclaimed. It felt like the battle had only been yesterday.

"You were drained. Anyone else would have collapsed much sooner than you did. And now that the Breach is stable, so is your mark. Do you feel any pain from it?"

Talyn shook her head no. And just then, her stomach started to rumble. The sharp pain in her abdomen signaled it was time to eat. Solas heard it as well.

"Come, let's get you something to eat."

Talyn gestured towards what she hoped was the Chantry. "Cassandra wants to see me."

"The Seeker can wait." Solas said firmly. "You need to eat."

Talyn was too hungry to be more insistent about meeting with Cassandra, so she followed Solas up the path to his cottage. It was one room, like Talyn's was, with a small cot shoved to one side of the room, and bookshelves all stuffed with what looked to be ancient volumes perfectly preserved. Solas' staff was leaning against the wall by the door, the little gem embedded into the wood reflecting the firelight.

Talyn sat at the table, and Solas placed a cup of tea in front of her. She sipped it, the hot liquid warming her and settling her angry stomach. She watched Solas as he went around the room, collecting ingredients and stirring them into a cauldron bubbling above the fire.

"You mentioned something about ancient ruins and battlefields, and the Fade. What did you mean by that?" Talyn asked him.

He seemed to like her question. "Every building strong enough to withstand the rigors of time has a history. Every battlefield is steeped in death. Both attract spirits. They press against the Veil, weakening the barrier between our worlds. When I dream of such places, I go deep into the Fade. I can find memories no other living being has seen."

Talyn sipped her tea. "You fall asleep in ancient ruins? Isn't that dangerous?"

"I do set wards. And if you leave food for the giant spiders, they are usually content to live and let live."

"That sounds wonderful." Talyn said. "Being able to see the past like that. Can every mage walk the Fade like that?"

Solas set a bowl of stew in front of her, a hint of something akin to pride in his eyes. The stew's warm, intoxicating aroma made Talyn salivate. She immediately dug in and listened to Solas answer her question.

"All mages have a connection to the Fade. But it takes years of practice to walk in it. I have yet to see another mage that can go as deep into it as I can." He sounded smug. He should be.

Talyn finished her food. Now that her stomach was full, her headache was gone, and she felt less irritable. "Thank you, for the food."

"Of course, Herald of Andraste." The playful smirk that danced on his lips was enough to make her want to slap him.

Talyn just huffed and glared at him as she stood. "I need to speak to Cassandra." She said sharply.

That stupid smirk just grew. Then suddenly, he changed his demeanor. He grew serious. "It was a pleasure to see you, Talyn.". The way he said her name, it gave Talyn pleasant chills.

"It was good to see you as well, Solas." Talyn stumbled over her words like an idiot. When she turned to leave, she tripped over her own two feet, ruining their strange moment.

Solas chuckled.

As Talyn walked out of his home, she lifted her hand and her fingers formed a rude gesture. His laughter echoed behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

Talyn made it to the Chantry, which was indeed the building she had predicted it was. She walked down the hall. Every single pair of eyes were on her as she walked, all of them awestruck. She could hear their quiet whispers, all of them saying, "the Herald of Andraste is here."

It made her want to shrink into herself and disappear. She approached the door at the far end of the hall, where she heard Cassandra and the Chancellor shouting at each other behind the closed door.

Talyn entered the room and saw Cassandra and the Chancellor in each other's faces. The Chancellor's face was red and blotchy, his beady eyes narrowed in profound anger and his mouth set in a snarl. Cassandra, who was taller than him, stood there looking down on his with a fire blazing in her black eyes and her arms crossed over her chest.

Upon Talyn's entrance, the Chancellor whirled around, and his face turned from red to purple.

"Soldiers! Seize the prisoner!"

"She did not kill the Divine, Chancellor Roderick." Cassandra said, her voice thick with annoyance. "I heard the Divine in the temple. She called to the Herald for help."

"Bah! 'The Herald'!" The Chancellor said mockingly, spitting slightly as he said it. "She's an imposter! A murderer! She will be tried in Val Royeaux, as she was supposed to a week ago. Seize her!"

The two men standing on either side of the door looked to Cassandra for approval, but she shook her head no. "Leave us." She commanded.

Chancellor Roderick sputtered and stammered as the two men nodded once to Cassandra and promptly left the room, shutting the door behind them.

"This is outrageous! This is treason!"

Cassandra moved, slamming a book down onto the table, the cover an eye with a sword running down the middle. "Do you know what this is, Chancellor Roderick? It's an order signed by the Divine Justinia herself."

Chancellor Roderick's eyes had become the size of dinner plates at the site of the book. He knew exactly what it was.

"An order to reassemble the Inquisition."Cassandra finished.

"You'll have no support from the Chantry, I can promise you that." The Chancellor hissed.

Cassandra's face darkened. "We don't need the Chantry's support."

"Now leave." The command in her voice was unmistakable.

"The Mothers are going to hear about this!" The Chancellor promised. He spat at Cassandra's feet, glared at Talyn, and stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Cassandra sighed, rubbing her temples with a pained look on her face. "That man gives me a headache."

"Thank you. For defending me." Talyn was surprised that the Seeker had kept the Chancellor from taking her away.

Cassandra looked at her. All the elves Talyn had seen the village thus far were small, petite, except for herself and Solas. Talyn was eye level with the Seeker. Her voice, and her eyes, were sincere as she replied, "you are innocent. I could not let him take you with that knowledge in my mind."

She turned from Talyn, and walked around the war table, her hands behind her back, studying it. It was quiet, for a few minutes.

Then Cassandra looked back to Talyn. "What are you going to do?"

Talyn was puzzled by the question. Not because she didn't understand it, but because she didn't know how to answer it. What was she going to do? She had no recollection of where she came from, so she couldn't go home. She was sure that if she left the safety of Cassandra and her "Inquisition" those of the Chantry would snatch her and hang her at the first opportunity.

"I... don't know."

Cassandra looked back down at the book. "The Breach is stable, but not gone. Rifts are still appearing across Thedas. You are the only one who can close rifts. The mages and the Templars are wrecking Thedas, causing a path of destruction in their wake with their war. The Inquisition is being formed to stop it. That was the Divine's wish, if the Conclave didn't solve their issues. But we must also close the Breach, so that the rifts will stop appearing."

She looked back up at Talyn. "They are calling you the Herald of Andraste. Do you believe yourself to be?"

"I vaguely know who Andraste even is, Cassandra." Talyn replied. "I don't follow the Maker. I can't be the Herald."

"The people believe it. And it is perhaps the only thing that is keeping you alive. Even though the Chantry is calling you a fake, an imposter. They're outraged at the idea of an elf being blessed by Andraste."

That made Talyn grin mischievously. Chancellor Roderick was starting to make her hate the Chantry, so the news that they equally despised her made her giddy.

"Will you stay and join the Inquisition? Your help is needed, Talyn."

Talyn nodded immediately, without putting much thought into it. "I have nowhere else to go, Cassandra. And I want to help however I can."

Cassandra's face, as usual, was stone. "Good. Come back to the war room tonight, so you can meet the rest of the council."

Talyn spent her day with Varric, listening to his tales about Hightown, and his brother, Bartrand. She was beginning to grow fond of the dwarf. He laughed, and joked, and drank ale like a fish. He was also an excellent story teller. He took her mind off the stares and whispers that appeared everywhere she went.

She returned when night fell, and when she entered the room, she saw four people standing around the table. There was a man she had seen earlier, with dark blond hair and silver armor with red fur on his shoulders. His hand was resting on the hilt of his sword, as if it was as natural as breathing to put it there. Next to him stood Leiliana, her violet hood pulled over her face, concealing it, as usual. And then there was Cassandra, and next to her, a woman with brown eyes and black hair pulled into a tidy bun. She wore an extravagant dress, and rings sparkled on her fingers.

"Welcome to the council, Talyn." Cassandra greeted her. "You already know Leiliana, our spymaster. This is Commander Cullen," the blond haired man smiled in greeting, "and this is our ambassador, Lady Josephine Montilyet."

"It is an honor to meet the Herald of Andraste." Lady Josephine said, her voice thick with an accent Talyn couldn't place. "You've caused quite a stir in the Chantry."

"To the point where they don't even acknowledge the existence of the Inquisition." Cullen pointed out.

Talyn went to say something about how she wasn't truly the Herald, but Cassandra butted in.

"We don't need the Chantry to validate us. We have Divine Justinia's signature. That is all we need." Cassandra said firmly. "We need to talk about the Breach."

"I say we go to the Templars for help." Cullen suggested.

"What will the Templars do, Commander Cullen? Stab the Breach?" Josephine said sarcastically. "The mages are magic. They will be more useful for closing the Breach once and for all."

"Remember, Josephine, I was a Templar." Cullen's hand, that was resting on his sword, gripped the hilt just a little tighter. "I know what they can do. Templars are trained to repress magic, which is what we need to get rid of the Breach."

They all looked at Talyn. "What do you think, Talyn?" Leiliana asked.

Talyn thought about her options. There were the Templars, who were trained to keep mages under control and are all but immune to magic, and then the mages, who were born with magic. She thought of Solas, and his ice magic. How he kept her from dying not once, but twice. He never said anything, but she knew that the reason she was still alive was because of him.

But not every mage was Solas.

"I need time to think." Talyn said, trying to keep her voice sure and steady. "We all do."

They all accepted what she said as the wisest option, and moved on to other pressing matters, like the finite resources Haven could provide for the Inquisition.

Talyn just couldn't make a decision about who to go to for help with the Breach. All night she thought about it, the benefits and disadvantages to both groups. But she simply did not know enough to have a vote.

But she knew someone who could.

So the next day, Talyn sought out Solas.

"Ah, Herald. This is a lovely surprise." Solas had that teasing smile on his face as he stood in the doorway to his cottage.

Talyn scowled at him briefly. "Good morning, Mage."

He raised an eyebrow. "Mage? I thought we were closer than that."

"Keep calling me Herald, and I'll keep calling you Mage." Talyn threatened.

Solas chuckled. "Come in, _Talyn._ "

They sat at the table, and Solas poured her a cup of tea to warm her freezing hands.

"So, what is it that you need of me so early in the morning?"

Talyn's face turned red. "I'm sorry, I hadn't realized it was so early." She just couldn't keep herself from thinking about her decision.

Solas dismissed her apology. "It is of no consequence, I was already awake."

Talyn decided to just be blunt. "We need more power to close the Breach."

"Yes, we do." He agreed.

"If you were to choose, who would you ask for help? The mages or the Templars?"

Solas furrowed his brow as he thought. He took his time, giving his answer, and Talyn felt like she could see the gears in his mind turning as he poured over all of his knowledge that he had on both of the groups. Even his face set in deep concentration was beautiful.

"I would ask the mages. Despite the Templar's skills, they do not have the connection to the Fade that mages have."

"Thank you, Solas."

"Of course." He smiled.

The next council meeting, Talyn said,

"I say we go to the mages."

Cullen's face darkened.

"The Breach is a part of the Fade," Talyn explained, remembering Solas' words from that morning, "and mages have a connection to the Fade that Templar's don't."

"Won't that just make it more dangerous? Since they are connected to the Fade?" Cullen counteracted.

"No matter what, we cannot get help from either side until the war ends." Leiliana also pointed out. "We must speak to both the Templars and the mages."

"It'll be next to impossible to speak to the mages. They are currently holed up in Redcliffe right now, in the midst of the battles. But the Templars... I will see what I can do." Josephine's eyes were far away as she started to think.

"In the meantime, we must see how we can help at the refugee camp in the Hinterlands. Talyn, I want you to come with. We leave tomorrow at first light." Cassandra told her.


	8. Chapter 8

The journey wasn't difficult for Talyn. In fact, she found it thrilling. As they traveled down the mountain and into the gentle slopes of the Hinterlands, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scenery. It fascinated her, how the blistering wind and the frosted ground could turn into green grass and blooming flowers so quickly. She would often get too far ahead of the group and get lost. Cassandra complained under her breath about having to "baby-sit" a fully grown woman quite often.

Whenever she did this, Talyn and Solas shared their own secret, amused grins.

"Talyn, stay with us!" Cassandra snapped as Talyn galloped ahead of them, right into the thick forest that lined either side of the road the were on.

Solas was never far behind her. And he was far more patient than Cassandra was with Talyn. He would show her small wonders that she never would have been able to find on her own. Like a waterfall hidden deep in the forest, in a small clearing with only one entrance, hidden by a thick blanket of ivy with white blooming flowers tangled in the leaves. Or a herd of halla grazing peacefully in a meadow bathed in sunlight, where their fawns frolicked and crushed the wildflowers beneath their hooves.

Without Solas shadowing her, she would never have been able to find the group back on the road. Especially when she would disappear for hours at a time, just marveling at the wonders of the world she didn't recognize.

Varric was very upset with Cassandra, because the Seeker made him ride a pony. The creature was about as bitter as her rider, because she was always constantly trying to brush the dwarf off her. Varric had scratches and leaves stuck in his hair from all of the failed attempts. He begged Cassandra for him to just walk, that it was unnatural for a dwarf to ride a pony. Cassandra had yet to give in, and they were always bickering about it. Listening to them argue amused Talyn more than anything else.

They arrived at one of the Inquisition's scout camps. The flaming eye with the sword in the middle was on everything. The tents, the flag, and the leather armor all the scouts that passed the group wore. One look at Talyn's face, at the swirling blue tattoos that shouted to the world how different she was, and they all knew that the Herald of Andraste had arrived. Talyn didn't think she'd ever get over the gawking and the whispers.

They dismounted and took care of their horses. Varric immediately handed his pony over to a scout and walked away, probably on the hunt for beer. But Solas and Talyn followed Cassandra through the camp on the hunt for a woman named Harding. She was the one who had the information Cassandra needed.

Harding was sitting on the edge of a cliff that overlooked the refugee camp. She was a dwarf, with red hair and gentle blue eyes. Upon seeing the three of them approaching, she stood to her feet and bowed.

"It's wonderful to meet you, Herald." She greeted Talyn first.

Talyn tensed for a moment.

"Um… hello." She replied awkwardly.

Cassandra interrupted. "Harding, what is the report on the Templars and mages?"

Harding's face grew solemn. "The war is bad, Seeker. Half of the Hinterlands is on fire. The Templars aren't just attacking the apostates anymore, it's anyone who they think _might_ be supporting them. And the mages aren't much better. They aren't even a part of the rebellion anymore, they're just using the chaos as an excuse to do whatever they please. Many of them are using blood magic, and they don't care who gets in their way. Most of the people left in the Hinterlands are in the refugee camp."

"And Dennet?"

"Haven't seen him. He's been holed up in his farm, which hasn't been touched by the war yet, thank the Maker. You're going to have to see him personally about supplying horses for the Inquisition, he won't respond to any of the ravens we've sent him."

"And there's a Chantry Mother named Giselle who wants to speak to the Herald of Andraste. She's waiting in the refugee camp."

Talyn's brow furrowed. "Me? Why?"

Harding smiled at Talyn. "Because you're the Lady Herald. Everyone wants to speak to you."

"A Chantry Mother? That could be an interesting conversation." Solas said.

"Thank you, Harding." Cassandra dismissed the scout. Harding smiled and bowed to Talyn once more before leaving them to talk amongst themselves.

"Given the fact that the Chantry isn't happy with the Herald, it could indeed." Cassandra agreed with Solas. She turned to Talyn. "It's up to you though, whether or not you will speak to her."

"I suppose I can." What other choice did Talyn really have?

Cassandra nodded. "Then you and Solas should go to the refugee camp. I am going to find Varric. After you speak with this Mother Giselle, we'll rest and go to Dennet's farm."

The refugee camp was made of despair and nightmares. Orphans with dirt smudged faces and glassy eyes sat in the mud playing with ragged dolls made of straw and bits of ripped fabric. When Talyn and Solas passed them, they turned and stared at them with blank faces.

Merchants lined the street, but they weren't shouting for others to buy their wares. They spoke in hushed whispers, despite the greed glowing in their eyes, as if anything louder than a whisper would cause the world to crack and break like porcelain.

All around Talyn she could feel it. The desperation, the hopelessness that oozed from every lost soul that inhabited the camp. In the distance, Talyn could hear agonized screams.

"Why?" Was all Talyn could say, her voice broken with held back tears.

"Because fear and hatred poison the minds and souls of those who let it linger there." Solas responded quietly.

A little girl clutching a halla toy to her chest pointed Talyn and Solas in the direction of Mother Giselle. She was among the infirmary tents, tending to those who were badly burned in the most recent battle.

Talyn forced herself to approach the tents, even though the anguished screaming from within was enough to make Talyn want to run in the other direction. She curled her hands into fists, and forced herself to focus on the pain of her nails digging into the palm of her hand to distract her from the screaming.

The infirmary tents were set up in a circle, and the less severely injured of the refugees were in the middle, with women clothed head to toe in red and white gowns tending to them. A Chantry sister who was standing in the middle of the circle of tents, washing her bloody hands off noticed them. She looked Talyn up and down once, before jabbing a thumb in the direction of one of the tents.

"Mother Giselle could use some help." Was all the woman said.

It was a relief, not being referred to as 'Lady Herald' for once.

Talyn truly, _truly,_ did not want to enter that tent. The scent of burnt and rotting flesh was already filling the air, and the cries of the injured tore at Talyn's heart. She felt Solas' hand on her shoulder, and she looked up at him.

"You don't have to go in." He said, with understanding in his eyes.

His pity was enough for Talyn to harden her heart. She shrugged his hand off and squared her shoulders.

"I do." And before she could change her mind, Talyn walked into the tent that the sister had pointed to.

Inside, the stench was even worse. Blood soaked the floor and walls of the tent. There was even some on the ceiling, and rags that looked like they were dipped in crimson paint were piled in a corner of the tent. Lying on the cot, was a boy of no more than fifteen. He was crying. And when Talyn's eyes moved from his soot smeared face, she knew why.

It wasn't just the gash on his chest, left by an angry man's sword, that caused his pain, but the blackened charred flesh that covered the whole span of his torso and half his face. An older woman covered head to toe like the others was slowly peeling off the burnt skin, revealing the healing pink skin underneath. Each time even a sliver of burned skin was removed, the boy screamed and jerked his body.

"Ethan, you must stay still." Mother Giselle gently reminded him, her voice calm and soothing.

"It hurts!" The boy wailed.

Mother Giselle saw Talyn standing there, and gestured with her head towards the boy. "Lady Herald, he needs to stay still."

Talyn knew what the Mother was asking of her. With her legs heavy as lead, Talyn moved to the boy's side. She held one of his hands with both of her own. She tried to will herself to speak, but she simply couldn't. It was as if the tragedy that filled the atmosphere had taken her voice.

Until he screamed. Then Talyn was placing her hands on the boy's shoulders, holding him down as best as she could while Mother Giselle peeled his dead skin off.

"Is Ethan your name?" Talyn asked, raising her voice above his screams so he could hear her. His eyes were glossed over as if he had a fever, but he nodded his head.

"My name is Talyn, Ethan." Talyn brushed his damp hair out of his eyes.

She didn't know where it was coming from, the words that were spilling out of her mouth. All she knew was that she needed to help him.

Ethan screamed again.

Talyn held him down, pushing all of her weight on him to keep him as still as possible.

"It will be okay Ethan." Talyn forced to keep her voice steady and calm. .

"Just a little while longer, Ethan. The mages are coming." Mother Giselle said.

"I want my mother!" He sobbed. "Where is she?!"

Talyn looked to Mother Giselle, who met her eyes briefly and discreetly shook her head once.

 _No._

She didn't survive the battle.

"I know." Talyn knelt by the cot and held onto Ethan's hand again. "We'll find her, Ethan. But I'll stay with you until she gets here. Is that okay?"

Ethan, through his tears, mumbled out a yes before the screaming started again.

She stayed by that boy's side until he passed out from the pain and Mother Giselle bandaged his torso. Then, without even looking at Mother Giselle, she stood to her feet, walked casually out of the tent, and then proceeded to vomit violently.

Someone rubbed her back as her breakfast went all over the grass. She gladly took the water that someone offered her and drank it.

She met Mother Giselle's kind, understanding eyes.

"Where were the mages that were supposed to heal him?" She demanded, her eyes alight with fury.

Mother Giselle patiently replied, "there are too many injured and too few mages. They cannot help everyone. The important thing is that Ethan is alive, and with elfroot and rest, he will continue to be alive until a mage is available."

"Why did you ask for me?" Talyn's tone was angry and rude, but Mother Giselle acted like nothing was amiss.

Mother Giselle started to walk, and Talyn followed suit. "Those in the Chantry say you are an imposter, and that the Inquisition is made of blasphemy and lies."

"I didn't even come up with the 'Herald of Andraste' nonsense. I was unconscious for a week!"

That made Mother Giselle smile. "We seldom get to choose our fate, Herald."

She continued, "I am familiar with those behind the Chantry's denouncement. I won't lie to you, some of them are grandstanding, hoping to increase their chances of becoming the new Divine. Some are simply terrified." Mother Giselle closed her eyes and bowed her head. "So many good people, senselessly taken from us."

Talyn turned from angry to confused. "But don't you stand with the rest of the Chantry?"

Mother Giselle's sad eyes moved to the ground. "With no Divine, we are each left to our own conscience." She looked back at Talyn. "And mine tells me this: You have that mark on your hand for a reason. The Maker has plans for you, Lady Herald. I serve the Maker, and therefore I must help you."

"Go to them. Convince the remaining clerics that you are not a demon to be feared. They've only heard frightful tales of you. Give them something to believe, as you have given me."

"What do you mean? What did I give you?"

Mother Giselle gestured towards the circle of infirmary tents they were leaving behind. "You did not want to be in that room. I could see it in your eyes. And yet, you stayed with that boy all day, even when he was unconscious, because he needed you. You proved to me what you are, with that simple act of kindness. Now you must prove yourself to the clerics."

Talyn gave her an incredulous look. "They want to execute me, and you want me to walk up to them?"

Giselle shrugged. "You are no longer alone. They cannot hurt you now."

Talyn snorted. "They can try."

"Let me put it to you this way, Lady Herald. You needn't convince them all. You just need to make them doubt. Their power is in their unified voice. Take that from them, and you will receive the time you need."

Talyn sighed. "Alright, Mother Giselle. Thank you for the advice."

Mother Giselle smiled. "You are welcome."

Talyn hesitated. "Will you… let me know how Ethan is doing?"

"Of course, Lady Herald."

And then they parted ways. Talyn had no idea where Solas was. She hadn't realized how long caring for Ethan had taken, until she looked at the sky and saw that it was almost night.

Solas came from nowhere, concern shining bright on his face. "Are you alright, Talyn?"

Talyn nodded. But she wasn't fine. She felt drained, emotionally and physically. And she had much to ponder about Mother Giselle's advice. She needed to talk to Cassandra right away.

But then she looked up at Solas, and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. She thought of Ethan. How Ethan lost everything because of this damn war. How, while they had to torture him for hours, he screamed for a mother who was no longer there to hold him and love him.

She wiped away her tear angrily. "I'm fine."

She knew Solas wasn't convinced, but he didn't press her. They started walking back to the camp.


	9. Chapter 9

_The world was nothing but darkness, except for a small sliver of light that came from the sky above. There was a figure standing in that ray of light, but Talyn was too far away to see who it was. She tried to move toward the person, but her feet would not move. No matter how hard Talyn tried, she couldn't go to the person standing in the ray of light._

 _But then, the light, and the person standing underneath it shuffled towards her. The sound of their feet scraping against the ground sent a shard of panic through Talyn. She fought against her invisible bonds now, trying to run away from the person making their way over to her._

 _"Look what you made her do." A woman's voice groaned. The woman was small, plump, with a hood pulled over her head. She walked like a hobbled old woman, but she sounded young._

 _"No, please go away!" Talyn begged. She didn't want to know what was under that hood. She had a sinking feeling that she already knew._

 _The woman violently threw her hood back, to reveal a grotesque monster that was once a warm, loving elf. Her face was marred with thick scars, where once her nose was, was all but a black hole in her face. Her green eyes, which were once so warm, were now filled with an unending hatred. She reached out to Talyn, pointing one gnarled, broken claw of a finger in her direction._

 _"LOOK AT WHAT YOU CREATED!"_

Talyn woke up covered in a thin layer of cold sweat. Her heart was hammering in her chest, like she had just finished a battle.

She rolled off of her sleeping mat and stumbled out of the tent. She rested her hands on her knees and gasped for breath. The crisp, cold night air felt good on her sticky skin.

When she was ready, she stood up straight, running a hand through her pale hair. She breathed in deeply through her nose, to calm her startled heart.

Was that a memory? The woman felt familiar, even twisted and mangled as she was. Talyn had felt horror, and shame when she saw her. _Shame._

 _Look at what you created._

The camp was dead silent, everyone was asleep, save for the scouts that were on their shifts for watch duty. But even they stared at Talyn, studied her, like she was a novelty. Suddenly, Talyn felt like she couldn't be there. She needed to get out of the camp, to go somewhere where she could be alone, without the prying eyes of those who revered her like some sort of god.

So Talyn walked out of the camp, barefoot, with no weapons on her person. She didn't know where she was walking, only that she had to be away from them. From everyone.

 _Look what you made her do._

Who? Who was the villain in Talyn's life? Why couldn't she remember her? Or anything, for that matter?

"Would you like some company?" A gentle, familiar voice sounded right next to Talyn.

She looked up to see Solas walking beside her.

"I…" She looked ahead of her, taking her eyes away from Solas and his hypnotizing eyes. "I don't know."

A comfortable silence fell between them. Talyn was brooding, and she knew that Solas could feel that. Yet even though Talyn didn't want to talk, Solas stayed by her side. Waiting patiently for her to speak, or to run, or to do anything that Talyn decided to do.

Why was he always so near her? Was it because of the mark? Or was it because he was just as alone as Talyn was? He never bonded with any of their companions the way Talyn did. He rarely spoke to them, except to give them advice about whatever threat they faced. The only one he seemed to bother to befriend was Talyn.

She was going to ask him why. Why her. But then he stopped her by grabbing a hold of her hand. His hand was rough with callouses, and warmer than her own icy fingers. Talyn stared at him curiously.

"There is something I would like to show you." He said to her, his eyes alight with a newfound excitement.

Talyn let Solas lead her through the woods, keeping a firm hold on her hand. Almost as if he enjoyed the feeling of her hand in his as much as Talyn enjoyed his hand in hers.

They came upon a circle of trees, white as bone and scarred from the thousands of years they had stood there. There was not a single shadow within the circle, the silver leaves of the trees shimmered underneath the light of the moon that shone above them. They grew tall, and their branches spread out, entwining with the branches of other trees, creating a barrier. Solas led Talyn into the circle of trees. The moment Talyn stepped into the grove, a feeling of peace washed over her. All of her worries were swept away by the golden warmth she could feel blossoming in her chest.

She could feel Solas' eyes on her as she stared in awe at the magnificent trees, their trunks so thick that it would have to take twenty men to make a full ring around one tree. Talyn looked at Solas in wonder, and asked in a fervent whisper, "what is this place?"

"A Guardian Grove." Solas responded, his voice also hushed. As if anything louder than a whisper would break the warmth of the peace. "These trees are offspring of the Sal'Adahl. They provide sanctuaries, places where weary travelers may rest. No one with malevolent intentions may enter the grove. And weapons and battle magic will not work within the circle."

 _The Soul Tree._ The words sparked some sort of familiarity, and a massive white tree with golden leaves flashed in Talyn's mind. Along with a sharp pain in the middle of her forehead. Talyn hissed and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead.

"Talyn, are you alright?" Solas asked.

Talyn nodded and looked up at Solas. "The Sal'Adahl. Where is it?"

Solas' eyes tightened with emotion. "It's dead."

Talyn's heart stopped. "It's… dead?"

"Whatever ended the immortality of elves killed the Soul Tree." Solas turned away from her. "The Guardian Groves are all that's left."

Talyn didn't know why the death of an ancient tree from so long ago would hurt him so much, but she could feel his pain as if it were her own. She put a hand on his shoulder, and his sad eyes met hers.

An ancient relic of their people, gone. Talyn had heard the tales from Varric, of how the elves were once the most powerful force in Thedas. That Elvhenan had spread over the entire continent, until the human mages of Tevinter defeated them, and how the elves lost their connection to the earth. They lost their immortality and became enslaved to the humans.

She couldn't feel the pain that Solas felt, though. Because she didn't remember the pain of being one of the last of a broken people.

She met his gaze with her own. And then she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him. Hoping, that by some small miracle, she could take away his sorrow. He gasped quietly, as if surprised by her sudden proximity. But almost immediately, Talyn could feel his arms encircle her, and he hugged her tight to his chest. He buried his face in her hair.

They stood still like that for a long time. Talyn felt like she could stay in his arms forever, and even though she was trying to comfort him, the mere act of being held by this elf was comforting her as well.

"Solas, tell me about the Fade."

They let go of each other, and Solas looked down at her with one of his rare, brilliant smiles that he seemed to reserve only for her. "Of course, lethallan."

So they sat in the cool, soft grass of the Guardian Grove, and Solas started to tell his stories of the Fade.

Master Dennet was an older man with a hard look about him. His face was set in a grimace, and his eyes were hard as slabs of stone. He stood in one of the horse stalls, brushing down a beautiful black horse as he gruffly answered Cassandra, "yes, you'll get your bloody horses, as soon as you make those roads safe. I won't have my horses dyin' on the road."

"Master Dennet, we need those horses so we can make the roads safe." Cassandra explained to him patiently.

Dennet shook his head and gave Talyn a glare. "I don't care if you're the Herald of Andraste. That's my final offer. Clean up the roads from those rogue Templars, and you'll have your horses at Haven."

Cassandra's patience was thinning. Talyn could see it in her eyes. Any moment now Cassandra's polite facade was going to crack. So Talyn stepped forward. "Alright, we'll clear out the Templars. But if we do that, we're going to need more than your horses. We want you in Haven as well."

Dennet crossed his arms over his chest, a glare on his face. And then he sighed. "Fine. But you better clear out the Templars first lass."

"Thank you, Master Dennet." Talyn said, before walking out the door. The others followed her back to their horses.

"So, what's the plan Firefly?" Varric asked.

Talyn was taken aback by Varric's sudden need to ask _her_ what they needed to do. It took her a moment to reply, so she mounted her horse, and then answered Varric. "Well, obviously we have to find out where the Templar's camp is. And then, we kill them. That should satisfy Dennet."

"Excuse me? Are you the Herald of Andraste?" A timid voice interrupted Talyn. Talyn turned her eyes to look at an older woman holding a newborn in her arms.

Talyn hated that name. In every village they had passed, everyone always asked that question. They would call her Herald, or Your Worship, or other names of that nature, and it took everything in Talyn not to scream to them that she was not some divine being, some magical creature blessed by a god she didn't even believe in.

But she said, much to her own surprise, "yes, I am the Herald."

The woman smiled. "You are much more beautiful than the stories describe, M'Lady."

"Um... thank you?" Talyn cleared her throat and straightened up. "Thank you." She said more strongly.

She didn't miss Solas' and Varric's amused smiles that they hid by turning their head and looking in another direction.

"Is there something you need?" Talyn asked the woman.

The woman smiled shyly at Talyn and looked down at the baby in her arms. "This is my granddaughter, Rosemary. Her father was killed by the Templars, and her mother died in childbirth. I was wondering… well, hoping, that the Herald of Andraste could bless her, to give her a fighting chance in this world."

Talyn didn't know what to say. Or what to do, for that matter. She couldn't very well turn this woman away. She looked like such a kind person, who lost her child and now had to care for her granddaughter. But Talyn didn't know how to bless people. For some reason, Talyn remembered how to kill a man, but couldn't remember any blessings from her own people.

Before she could panic and turn the woman away, Talyn dismounted and held out her arms. The woman looked so relieved, and she thanked Talyn as she handed over her granddaughter.

"Hello, Rosemary." Talyn smiled down at the baby girl. The baby gave her a toothless smile.

"Nuva Evanuris innana tarsul ma, da'len."

She kissed her forehead and handed her back to her grandmother, who stared at Talyn in awe.

"Thank you, Herald. Thank you so much!" She bowed and walked away.

When Talyn turned to the others, she noticed Solas was looking at her. He was always staring, but he usually pretended that he hadn't been whenever Talyn look his way. This time, he stared at her intensely, staring deep into her eyes. As if he was looking for something. Talyn couldn't help but stare back at him.

Until Varric pulled Talyn's attention away from Solas.

"What did you say, Firefly?"

"May the Evanuris watch over you, little one." Talyn climbed on her horse, and they headed out of Dennet's farm.


	10. Chapter 10

The Templar camp Dennet was worried about was easy enough to deal with. Dennet followed through on his agreement with Talyn, and he gave the Inquisition horses and set out for Haven with them to help tend to the Inquisition's stables.

When the group returned to Haven, Talyn told the council what Mother Giselle had said to her.

"Well, she's not wrong." Cullen said. "Half of Ferelden reveres you now. It'll be more difficult for them to follow through on executing you."

"I think you should try to reason with the clerics, Talyn." Josephine told her. "If anything, it will just show the people your desire for peace."

"I can have my scouts do a little digging through Val Royeaux." Leiliana offered.

Cassandra wasn't on board with it, though. "You could get seriously injured, Talyn. I don't like this."

"We could use the Chantry's help, Cassandra." Talyn argued. "We barely have enough resources as it is. I don't like the thought of entering a city where almost everyone there wants me dead either, but if we have a chance to get more help, we should take it."

"She will not be alone, Cassandra." Leiliana assured the Seeker. "My scouts will be in the city, along with you, and some others to protect the Herald."

"She'll have more protection than the Empress of Orlais." Cullen concluded.

Cassandra sighed. "I still don't like it, but you all have a point."

"I will make preparations for your journey to Val Royeaux. You'll have to have a carriage, at the very least…" Josephine was already leaving the war room.

"Wait, Josephine!" Talyn stopped her from leaving.

"Yes, Herald?"

"Is there any news about the mages?"

"Not yet, Herald, but I am working as hard as I can."

Talyn's hope dwindled. "Alright. Thank you."

"There is someone else who would like to speak to you in the meantime, Talyn." Leiliana brought Talyn's attention back from her thoughts. "A mercenary named Iron Bull. He's the leader of Bull's Chargers, a famous band of sellswords. He wishes to speak to you about employing the Chargers, and asks that you meet him in the Storm Coast, so that he can show you just how useful they can be to our cause."

Talyn almost asked her, 'why me?', but Talyn already knew what her answer would be.

Talyn was _blessed_ by precious _Andraste_ herself. Who wouldn't want to speak with her?

It made her a little sick, the fact that she, an amnesia stricken elf who had no idea what she was doing, kept getting all of these new responsibilities. That now she had to bless babies and speak with Chantry clerics who would rather watch her hang. But Mother Giselle's words ran through her mind constantly.

 _We seldom get to choose our own fate._

Stupid, stupid shems and their idiotic Andraste.

"Alright. We'll leave first thing in the morning."

Talyn left the war room as well, feeling more restless and disgruntled than she had walking in there. She already knew where she was going.

Solas. Every night on the trip back to Haven, Talyn sat with Solas by the fire, so close that their knees would touch, and would listen with silent wonder as he told her of all the things he'd seen in his travels through the Fade. It was becoming a daily ritual, to sit with him. Ever since their moment in the Guardian Grove, where for the first time since she'd known Solas he had shown her a moment of weakness, it seemed that they had grown closer. Although he never let her see that side of him again. He was calm and collected, as always, but he was letting Talyn in, a feat that not even easy going Varric had been able to pull off yet.

She walked up the path to his cottage and knocked on the worn wooden door. It opened by itself, and Talyn walked in, the warmth of the fire melting off the last bits of snow that landed in her braided blond hair. Solas was sitting at the little table, reading one of the ancient looking books that Talyn had seen on the shelf the last time she was in this room.

He was so engrossed in the book, that it seemed like he didn't even notice that he had opened the door for Talyn. So she went over to the tea kettle, and poured herself some tea. Then she sat opposite of Solas, and blew on the boiling hot tea, using the extra chair to prop her feet on.

The tea suddenly went from scalding, to just warm enough for Talyn to drink it without burning her mouth. She looked over at Solas, who was still reading.

She smiled and drank her tea.

"How was the council meeting?" Solas broke the silence after awhile.

"Well. I'm going to Val Royeaux to talk to a bunch of stuffy old women in a few weeks." Talyn drank some more tea. "And tomorrow we're going to the Storm Coast to talk to an 'Iron Bull' about joining the Inquisition."

Solas, who was still reading, smiled. " _We're_ going to the Storm Coast?"

"Well, you've been acting like my shadow ever since I met you, so I only assumed that you'd come along."

"I can stay behind, if you wish."

"No!" Talyn slammed the cup down on the table, accidentally spilling some of the liquid.

Solas looked up from his book, with a smirk on his lips and an amused glint in his eye.

Talyn cleared her throat, picked up her mug, which was now wet, and sipped it. "I mean, you'd probably be useful. With your magic… and stuff."

His smirk turned into a full blown grin. He gently closed his book. "Yes, I am very useful. With my magic and stuff."

Talyn's face was beet red. "Tell me another tale from the Fade." She quickly changed the subject.

He rested his elbows on the table, clasped his hands together, and rested his chin on them. "What would you like to hear about?"

"Tell me about the gods. The Evanuris."

The Evanuris. The Elvhen pantheon, the rulers of the Old World, before the humans showed up and they disappeared, along with their blessings of immortality. Her request didn't sit well with Solas, she could see his bright silver eyes darken at the thought.

"They weren't gods." There was a hint of anger in his tone.

Talyn leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. "What do you mean?"

Solas looked away from her. She was starting to regret asking him about the Evanuris, but she couldn't understand why it made Solas so upset.

"I'm sorry, Solas." Talyn said after a few minutes of silence.

Solas finally looked up at her with an apologetic smile. "You have nothing to apologize for. I spent some time with the Dalish tribes, trying to teach them the knowledge they had lost. They were stubborn, so the subject of our Elvhen rulers has left a sour taste."

"Then tell me about the Fifth Blight instead." She changed the subject. "Varric mentioned it."

Within a heartbeat Solas dove into the tale of the first battle of the Fifth Blight, where King Cailan was betrayed by his uncle Teryn Loghain.

The Storm Coast lived up to it's name. All Talyn could hear was the crashing of the waves against the rocks, and the sea was as dark of a grey as the sky. But she loved it. She loved the salty smell of the ocean, the cool rain on her bare skin.

Talyn, Cassandra, Varric and Solas went to the location that Leiliana told them Iron Bull would be. But before they even reached their destination, the sound of steel against steel was unmistakable.

Talyn unslung her bow and knocked an arrow in it, running towards the sound of a battle. On the beach, Talyn saw a strange ship on the shore, and people fighting.

But what was more stranger than the ship, was the giant man with horns sticking out of his head, towering above the other humans, slicing men in two with his giant sword. He was massive. He had a broad chest that was littered with scars, and arms as thick as tree trunks, yet he moved with a grace that reminded Talyn of Leiliana. He had an eyepatch over one of his eyes, and the other was the clearest blue Talyn had ever seen.

That had to be Iron Bull. The name fit him.

It was unusual for someone to carry both a sword and a bow apparently, but Talyn felt vulnerable without having both on her person. Instead of raining doom on the men in foreign armor that the Chargers were attacking, Talyn charged head first into the battle, her lyrium markings glowing bright. She felt the familiar tingling feeling of Solas putting up a barrier around her.

Her sword started to burn a blue flame, the same shade of blue as the lyrium burned into her skin. Her muscles cried in relief at the chance to be used, and her heart soared at every foe that fell to her blade. Those that became her victims had blue fire licking at their wounds, before it died out, unable to sustain itself without Talyn's lust for blood to fuel it.

The battle was over more quickly than Talyn would have liked.

Talyn wiped the blood off her sword on her pant leg and sheathed it. Then she pulled her braided hair up into a bun, to cool her burning neck. She waited patiently for Iron Bull to be done barking out orders to kill the survivors and break out the mead. He sat on a piece of driftwood, which creaked dangerously at first, and then he turned his blue eye on Talyn.

Talyn was surprised when the man chuckled. "The stories are true, then. The Herald of Andraste, an elf with lyrium markings. I bet the Chantry just loves you."

Talyn couldn't help but grin. Maybe it was the adrenaline from the battle that made her giddy, or perhaps the satisfaction that the Chantry did in fact loathe her, but she wanted to laugh as well.

"Iron Bull is a strange name." Talyn stated with a joking tone.

He raised an eyebrow. "This, coming from an elf with glowing tattoos and a mark that controls demons?"

"Oh, is that what they say about me?" Talyn sat on the driftwood next to him and took a mug of mead that was offered to her. "Well, they're somewhat true. My mark controls the floating green portals to the Fade, not the demons."

"Ah, the demons sounded much better." Iron Bull responded.

Talyn sighed dramatically. "Yes, I know, it's such a tragedy."

Iron Bull chuckled again, and then changed the subject. "So, what do you think about my men? Are we worthy enough of your Inquisition?"

Talyn took a drink of her mead. "I'm curious. Why do you want to join the Inquisition?"

"It's in the interest of my superiors to get that Breach fixed before it causes more problems." Iron Bull said simply. "I'm Ben-Hassrath."

Talyn gave him a stupid look.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot that you don't have any memories from before the Breach. Ben-Hassrath are like the spies of the Qunari."

That explained why he reminded her of Leiliana. "The Qunari?"

Iron Bull laughed. "What did you think I was? A human?"

Talyn's ears burned. She regretted putting her hair up.

Iron Bull pointed to the horns. "Qunari are giants with horns, for future reference."

She nodded mutely.

He turned serious again. "Is it a problem, that I'm Ben-Hassrath?"

"Are you going to make it a problem? What information would you be giving to your superiors?"

He shrugged. "Oh, just little things. Enough to keep them satisfied. The plus side of having me around though, is that you would get information as well."

"Just enough to keep me satisfied?" She guessed.

He grinned. "Now you're getting it. Along with information, you'd be getting me. Your personal bodyguard."

Well. That would be useful. Not that Talyn needed a personal bodyguard but having Iron Bull along when she went on missions for the Inquisition would still be beneficial, since he was a monster of a swordsman.

But there was still one problem. "How much do you and your men cost?"

"Don't worry about that. Leave the money concerns to your ambassador... Josephine, is it?"

It kind of unnerved her that he knew so much. But it was to be expected. He did say he was a spy. But shouldn't Talyn accept his help, if he was willing? He said he would only give enough to satisfy the other Qunari in charge. Talyn didn't have to tell him everything either.

"Alright, Iron Bull. Come back to Haven when you're ready."

"Fantastic! Krem! Pack up the barrels, we're going on the road!"

"But we just broke open a casket, Chief! With an _axe._ " The man who Talyn assumed was Krem answered back. He had short brown hair that was shaved on one side, and dark eyes.

"Well stick something in it and get a move on! We just got hired!"


	11. Chapter 11

Iron Bull and his Chargers decided to travel with Talyn's small group back to Haven. Talyn found it fun to travel with them. Iron Bull was pleasant to be around, and so were his men. There were six of them that seemed to be in his "inner circle", and Talyn quickly got to know each of them.

There was Krem, a Tevinter man who was Iron Bull's second-in-command. Talyn learned that this was odd, because Tevinter and the Qunari had been enemies for centuries. They often threw good natured insults at each other. And then there was Rocky, a dwarf from Orzammar, which Talyn learned from Varric was the homeland of the dwarves, deep beneath the earth. He was a little too into explosives, but he was nice enough.

Then there was their medic, a human they called Stitches. He seemed exasperated most of the time, often scolding the others for their improper use of his medicines. Grim was another human, and his name fit him. The man didn't speak, and never smiled. Then there was Skinner, a city elf who joined the Chargers because she was no longer welcome in her alienage. She didn't say much on why she had to leave, or why her name was Skinner, except that a human lord tried to take something that wasn't his to take. Talyn decided that she didn't want to know the whole story.

Talyn's favorite out of the group though, was Dalish. She was a Dalish elf, with a green vallislin. She was a mage, but when Iron Bull pointed it out, she said that her staff was merely a bow.

"But you have a gemstone in it." Talyn had pointed out.

Dalish winked at her. "That's just a Dalish trick to help with aiming. You wouldn't understand."

"Do you know any stories about the Evanuris?" She asked the mage-slash-archer.

Dalish nodded. "'Course I know about the Creators. Why do you ask?"

Talyn looked around to make sure that Solas wasn't within ear shot. He had something against the Evanuris, but Talyn had been burning with curiosity.

"I can't remember much about them. I was hoping you could refresh my memory."

Dalish grinned. "Well, there are nine of them, so this may take a while. Which one do you want to start with first?"

And, honestly, that was how Dalish became her favorite out of Iron Bull's inner circle. Just like how Varric became her friend, and Solas. People who could spin tales like no other fascinated Talyn. Every bit of information Talyn could obtain was like treasure to her, because she had nothing except for the few weeks she's been the Herald of Andraste. And all she heard about was the Chantry, which Talyn was growing to dislike immensely.

"How did you learn to fight, Herald?" Iron Bull asked one night.

Talyn cringed at her title. Which made Iron Bull and Varric break out into laughter.

"You were right, Varric! Her face does twist when you call her that."

Talyn glared, which just made them laugh harder.

So, she stood up, and walked away from the fire. That was when Bull's men started laughing too.

She walked into the trees and found Solas quietly gathering herbs. It was night, but he had used some flickering blue light, probably some form of magic, to help him see. He hadn't seen her yet.

Talyn crouched, hiding behind the underbrush. With her ebony armor that seemed to be made for stealth, she blended right in with the darkness. Her boots were silent on the forest floor, and she stepped so lightly she didn't even break a twig. She moved around a tree, planning to surprise the normally calm elf.

"Hello, Talyn." Solas greeted her with a smile in his voice.

Talyn sighed in frustration and stood to her feet, revealing herself. "How did you know?"

There was amusement twinkling in his eyes when he turned to face her. Or was it? "I'm a mage, Talyn."

"Oh."

"So..." Talyn started awkwardly. "What are you doing?"

"Collecting elfroot. I thought the Inquisition could use some more."

"Do you need help?"

Solas turned back to the patch of elfroot. "Yes."

So Talyn knelt in the patch of elfroot, and silently helped Solas collect it. It was a comfortable silence though, and after the past few days of nothing but Iron Bull's rambunctious men, Talyn enjoyed the quiet. And she enjoyed being around Solas. As usual, the loner elf stayed away from the others, only speaking when it was an important matter. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she missed him.

They gathered the plants and put them in a basket that Solas used his magic to make out of a few tree branches.

"Were you always an apostate, Solas? Or were you in a Circle?" Talyn asked while they were walking back to the camp site.

"I was never in a Circle."

"So you taught yourself to use magic?"

"I grew up in a small village to the north. There wasn't much else for a young boy to do. I quickly learned that I had an aptitude for magic."

"It must be nice, being able to use magic."

Solas smiled. "It's a blessing, and a curse. Mages who don't know how to properly use their magic fall prey to demons."

"Have you ever been the victim of a demon?"

Solas shook his head. "It wasn't a true demon. But it was my own."

His tone ended the conversation.

Val Royeaux was a beautiful old city, carved from ancient stone and it's towers reaching for the sky like beacons. The group was walking down a wide bridge lined with colossal statues of various saints on either side, their hands folded in prayer. The closer to the gates they got, the older the stone looked.

This city was holy. Talyn could feel it deep in her bones. There was an ancient energy that the mark reacted to. It started to glow faintly.

A figure approached them, swathed head to toe in a black cloak, despite the warm day. Talyn felt Cassandra tense and reach for her sword, but the figure quickly made a hand sign that proved they were one of Leiliana's scouts.

"The clerics have summoned the Templars." The scout said in a low voice. "They're waiting to ambush you in the marketplace."

"Damn it." Cassandra sighed. "I was hoping the clerics would actually see reason."

Talyn nodded her thanks to the scout and walked around him.

"Aren't you worried about the Templars, Talyn?" Cassandra asked.

"Templars don't frighten me." Templars were easy to deal with, compared to demons.

"Templars are frightening to everyone." Iron Bull pointed out.

"Templars are merely men. Men can bleed."

Bull chuckled. "I knew there was a reason I liked you, boss."

Talyn scowled. "Stop calling me that."

They passed through the gate into the city. It seemed that the moment they entered Val Royeuax, it became as silent as a graveyard. The people were all staring at the group. Well, more specifically, they were staring at _Talyn._ And who wouldn't stare at her? Talyn was a anomaly. She looked like some wild thing, with her hair undone and tousled by the wind, and her lyrium markings that were branded into her skin. Not to mention her armor, which was the darkest color of black possible, so dark that it seemed to suck all the light surrounding Talyn.

The Marketplace was just a giant circle. It was loud, and busy, until the people started to notice Talyn and her people walk in. It got just as quiet as the rest of the city.

A woman stood on a wooden platform, dressed head to toe in the red and white Chantry robes. She was old, her wrinkled face twisted in disgust and her watery eyes filled with hatred at the sight of Talyn. She pointed a finger at Talyn, and Talyn had a flashback of her nightmare, of a broken, clawed finger.

"Imposter! Heathen! How dare you enter this holy city!" The woman accused Talyn.

This just made Talyn stand taller and bite her tongue before she could say something stupid.

"Please, Mother Helena, see reason." Cassandra implored. It didn't surprise Talyn that the Seeker knew her.

"This imposter should be hanged! Not celebrated like the false servant of Andraste she claims to be!"

"I never claimed to be the Herald of Andraste!" Talyn had to fight to keep herself from shouting back at the woman. "I'm just trying to keep the world from falling apart, which is what all of you should be more concerned about, rather than who I am and who I am not."

There started to be a low murmur in the crowd as the common people witnessed what would probably be a legendary exchange between an elf and the Chantry.

"And who is to say that you did not create the Breach in the first place?" Mother Helena spat at her.

"The Divine called out to Talyn for help, Mother Helena." Cassandra defended Talyn. "The Herald is nothing more than another victim in the explosion."

Talyn really wished Cassandra would just stop talking about her being the Herald.

"I will not believe the blasphemous lies coming out of your mouth, Seeker Cassandra." Mother Helena gestured towards a gate, where a man with a scar on his face and black eyes filled with rage lead a group of men walking out of it, all wearing the same Templar armor.

"We have called for the Templars!" The woman addressed the people. "They will protect us, and make this false prophet pay for her crimes!"

The group all reached for their weapons as the Templars approached them.

But then, the man that seemed to be the leader turned and walked onto the platform instead of attacking Talyn. And then backhanded Mother Helena. Everyone gasped, and the frail woman fell to the ground.

With a deadly look in his eye, the man turned to the crowd. "The Templars do not serve the Chantry any longer."

"That's Lord Seeker Lucius." Cassandra whispered. "What is he doing?"

"We will wipe out the mage rebellion, without the Chantry and their meddling."

That was a waste of time. "Why don't you help us repair the sky instead, Lord Seeker?" Talyn demanded.

He gave her a nasty look. His eyes were black, empty, and Talyn was once again reminded of her nightmare. "I will not help the Inquisition, not while you have mages amongst your men."

He looked directly at Solas.

His men gave each other concerned looks, but they followed their Lord Seeker as he stepped down from the platform and left out of a side entrance.

Talyn went over to Mother Helena. She was still on the ground, refusing to meet Talyn's eye.

When Talyn offered her hand to her, Mother Helena slapped it away.

Talyn stepped back from her. "I am not your enemy. The Inquisition is not your enemy."

"Just get out of this city! And never come back." The old woman hissed at her.

Talyn sighed and walked away. Solas, Cassandra, and Iron Bull followed her. Talyn didn't look back as they left the city.

A slender elf woman with short black hair and blue eyes was leaning against a staff in the middle of the bridge. She had a small smile on her face.

Talyn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she stopped in front of the woman.

"Are you the Herald of Andraste?" She asked Talyn in a sing song voice.

Talyn fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes. And who are you?"

Her smile widened. "My name is Grand Enchanter Fiona. I heard you were looking for me."

Talyn immediately snapped to attention. The mages. "Yes, I have been looking for you."

"Then meet me in Redcliffe, and we can talk." Fiona bowed. "It was a pleasure, Herald."

Then she disappeared.

Talyn and Cassandra each met each other's surprised stare.


	12. Chapter 12

"Something's wrong." Talyn said to the others. "I can feel it. I can feel the Fade."

That uncomfortable tugging and burning sensation was shooting up her arm. Even the mark on her hand was glowing and getting brighter with every step they took closer to Redcliffe.

Talyn had made the decision to head straight to Redcliffe, instead of going back to Haven to discuss the Grand Enchanter's invitation. It would have wasted precious time. Who knew how long the Breach would remain stable. The others had agreed with her, that this was time sensitive and had to be dealt with immediately. Although Iron Bull had his reservations against the mages, being a Qunari and all, he was willing to follow Talyn anyways.

"Perhaps it's a rift." Solas said.

Iron Bull chuckled. "Finally, some damn action! I'm ready to take on a few demons right now."

"Be on your guard." Cassandra said, reaching for the hilt of her sword.

The tension in the air grew thick as they traveled through the forest. It was too quiet. Not even one bird sang their morning song, not one squirrel scampered about from tree to tree. And the air was cold, despite the morning sun that shone above them in the cloudless sky.

Once they were in the shadow of the entrance to Redcliffe, Talyn heard it.

 _Crack! Pop! Crack!_

Her mark started to burn, sparking her nerves with pain. She didn't make a sound, just clenched her fist and willed her pain away.

Cassandra looked back at the three of them and unsheathed her sword.

Talyn knocked an arrow in her bow.

As they rounded the corner, the shades attacked.

Cassandra and Iron Bull shouted a battle cry and charged, hacking at the shades from their horses while Talyn and Solas attacked them from a distance.

The battle looked like it was going to end quickly.

But then, all of a sudden, the world froze. Talyn couldn't move, couldn't blink. All she could do was move her eyes, and she saw that everyone else was frozen as well. She fought against the invisible bonds, fought as hard as she could, but she still did not move.

Then the world was moving again. Talyn gasped for breath.

She reached for her sword and blocked one of the shade's attacks. When the sword made contact with the shade's leathery skin, the world started moving more quickly. The battle ended in less than five seconds. Talyn reached out to the rift, and in one very fast gesture she closed it. The uncomfortable tugging and burning in her hand ended as soon as the rift was gone.

"What the hell was that?" Talyn asked, breathing hard, her wide eyes meeting three equally confused faces.

At the sight of the rift disappearing, the guards at the gate shouted out, "it's the Inquisition!" And the gate started to creak open. Cassandra's horse broke into a canter the moment the gate was opened. Talyn, Solas, and Iron Bull followed.

They had to bring their horses to a skidding stop though when an Inquisition scout suddenly cut them off up ahead. The scout looked confused. He bowed.

"Lady Herald, we were not expecting you in Redcliffe."

"That's impossible." Talyn said, looking back at her companions. "Fiona invited us here herself."

"We had no idea of such an invitation. There's actually-"

"Lady Herald, it is an honor to meet you." An oily voice came out of nowhere. Standing behind the scout was a man in plain black robes, with yellow eyes and an ashen skin tone. The sight of him made Talyn uneasy. She didn't like the way he looked at them, like he knew something they didn't.

"And who are you, mage?" Talyn asked, her voice suddenly cold. She held her head high and looked down at the man, any trace of warmth she had leaving her face. Cassandra and Iron Bull looked at Talyn like she had grown a second head. Solas, however, was hiding a smile.

His bright eyes narrowed, and Talyn could see he had to battle with himself to keep his pleasant tone. "My name is Lysas, I serve Magister Gereon Alexius, who is now in charge of Redcliffe, and the mages."

"What did you say?" Cassandra and Talyn shared a look.

"The rebel mage leader Grand Enchanter Fiona struck a deal with Magister Alexius. However, she is expecting you in the Gull and Lantern. I can lead you there, if you would like."

"We can find the way ourselves." Talyn clicked her tongue and Shadow started to walk again.

Lysas's lips turned down slightly, something Talyn wouldn't even have noticed if she wasn't already on her guard about him. "Of course, Lady Herald. If there is anything at all that you need during your stay in Redcliffe, I can be found in the castle." He bowed deeply once more, and then disappeared.

"Does anyone else smell a trap, or is it just me?" Bull said, just loud enough for the three of them to hear and no one else.

"Be wary." Talyn warned them. "I don't like Lysas. He's hiding something."

"It's peculiar that our scouts in Redcliffe had no idea we were coming." Solas pointed out.

"Unless this is a trap." Talyn said quietly.

"Then we are in deep shit." Bull stated.

Talyn snorted in amusement. Although in reality, the situation was not in the least bit funny. Cassandra made sure to remind her of that with a disapproving glare.

The Gull and Lantern was an inn. Talyn made sure that her daggers she had hidden in her boots and the one strapped to her thigh were still where they were supposed to be before they headed inside. The inn was small, and empty, except for the lone elf mage with black hair. Her staff was strapped to her back, and she was sipping on what looked like tea. At the sight of Talyn and her companions, she smiled warmly.

"Lady Herald?" She asked, as if she didn't recognize Talyn. "I recognized you by your _vallaslin._ It's unique, apparently. Before this war, I had never even met a Dalish before. I find your culture quite interesting. Would you like some tea?"

Talyn sat at the bar stool next to her. "No thank you." She said politely. "We're here to discuss you and your mages helping with the Breach."

Fiona shook her head. "As one indentured to a magister, I no longer have the authority to negotiate with you."

"You have no idea what mistake you've made, making a deal with a Tevinter mage." Bull said with anger coating his voice.

Fiona gave him a sharp look. "I did what I had to do to protect my people. I share no love for this war with the Templars. But I will not stand for my people being enslaved. For my people being treated as dangerous beasts forced to do tricks to please the masses. Lord Alexius promised us safety from the Templars, a way to end the violence and let us live in peace."

"Then why did you find us at Val Royeaux to invite us here to negotiate?" Cassandra asked in irritation.

Fiona furrowed her brow. "I haven't left the city since before the Conclave, Seeker. I made no such invitation. I only knew of your arrival to speak with me because of Magister Alexius."

Talyn shared a worried look with the others. "Then who invited us?"

"Who knows?" An unfamiliar voice interrupted.

Talyn spun around in the bar stool and saw an unfamiliar man standing by the entrance, with Lysas by his side. The man wore red robes, with a strange red spiked hood over his head. He was a handsome man, but he strutted towards them like a peacock preening his feathers. He had an air of arrogance about him, of superiority. He didn't have to introduce himself for Talyn to know this was Magister Alexius.

On the other side of him was a younger man who looked like him. He looked pale, and sickly, but he stood tall, the way a little lordling did.

"I am Gereon Alexius, my Lady Herald. It is an honor to meet Andraste's Chosen." He smiled warmly at Talyn. But she could see the sinister smirk behind the smile.

Lord Alexius couldn't fool Talyn. He was a snake.

"I've been hearing that a lot recently." Talyn responded. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Alexius. These are my companions, Seeker Cassandra, Iron Bull, and Solas."

Alexius bowed his head slightly in greeting. "So, let's get down to business, shall we? I hear you want to make use of my mages."

Talyn didn't fail to notice the way Fiona tensed at the words _my mages._

"I do indeed. If you haven't noticed, there's a giant rip in the sky. We need the rebel mages to help us close it, as soon as possible."

Alexius's smile widened. "And what will you give me in return?"

The younger version of Alexius suddenly groaned stumbled forward, knocking into Talyn.

Alexius gasped. "Felix!" He moved quickly to the man, helping him to his feet. "We must get you back to the Keep."

Alexius looked over his shoulder at Talyn. "I will send you an invitation and we will discuss this further." He looked at Fiona. "Fiona! Come." He barked at her, as if she was a dog.

Talyn saw Fiona's nostrils flare. But then a moment later she composed herself and stood to her feet. She bowed. "Lady Herald. Seeker." She then followed Alexius out the door.

Talyn looked at the crumpled parchment Felix had shoved in her hand.

 _Meet me at the Chantry. You're in danger._


	13. Chapter 13

"Meet me at the Chantry. You're in danger." Talyn read the note to the others as soon as they were alone. Solas had put up wards around the Gull and the Lantern, so that other mages couldn't just pop in magically or listen in on what they were saying.

The group was sitting at a table in the corner of the room, far away from the bartender who was cleaning already clean mugs with a rag.

"Should we do it?" Cassandra asked. "Should we meet him in the Chantry?"

"It sounds like a trap." Iron Bull said. "We should just go home. This trip has been wasted. Redcliffe is a lost cause."

"No." Talyn interrupted them. "We're going to the Chantry."

"What if it _is_ a trap?" Cassandra asked, an argumentative tone to her voice.

"The little lordling will know we think it's a trap. So even if it is, he doesn't have the element of surprise." Talyn reassured her. "We'll be fine.

"I agree with Talyn. Let's go to the Chantry." Solas said.

Bull sighed, defeated. "I suppose it has been awhile since I've kicked some Tevinter ass."

The three of them turned their eyes to Cassandra, who stood there with her arms crossed. She sighed and shrugged. "Why not?"

Talyn smiled. "Then let's go."

Under the cover of night, the four of them traveled through the city of Redcliffe, their steps as light as they could make them. Solas had used a spell that would help them blend with the night, but Talyn had no use for it. She had to remind herself to slow down, so that she wouldn't leave the others behind.

It unnerved her, how at ease with the darkness she was. How her hearing was sharper under the cover of night, her vision impeccable. Like she was made of shadows and silence.

Talyn held onto the dagger that was normally strapped to her thigh and sneaked up to the large Chantry door. She grabbed one of its steel handles and pulled hard on it. It opened slowly, it's hinges creaking. Talyn let Solas, Cassandra, and Iron Bull through first before she shut the door behind her.

The Chantry hall was dark, each row of benches empty. There was only one light down at the end of the hall, where two lit candles sat at the statue of Andraste's feet. Talyn sheathed her dagger and reached for her bow.

Talyn nearly shot Felix, who had stepped out from behind the statue, his face pale and his skin shiny with sweat.

A second person followed Felix. He was tall, with tanned skin and black hair. He had a thick black moustache that curled a bit at the ends, and dark eyes. He was handsome. He was carrying a staff that looked similar to Solas'.

"Thank you for coming to meet with me." The obvious foreigner greeted them.

"Tevinter." Iron Bull growled.

The man turned to the Qunari. "I know our two peoples have never gotten along, but for the sake of the world, could we maybe knock our hatred down a notch or two?"

Then, when Iron Bull didn't respond, the man turned to Talyn. He bowed with a flourish, a flirtatious smile on his face. "My name is Dorian of house Pavus. How do you do?"

"And why did you bring us here, Dorian Pavus?" Talyn asked him.

Dorian's face grew serious. "To talk about my former mentor, Alexius. As he was once my mentor, my assistance should be most valuable. As I'm sure you can imagine."

"Get to the point." Cassandra growled.

"There is danger here, that much is obvious even without the note." Dorian started to pace. "Let's begin with Alexius snatching the rebel mage's allegiance out from under your noses. As if by magic, yes? To reach Redcliffe before the mages, Alexius distorted time itself."

Talyn exchanged a startled glance with Solas. "To get here before me? Right after the Divine died?"

Dorian smirked. "You catch on quick."

"Manipulating time itself? Even the most powerful mages weren't able to do that." Solas didn't sound convinced.

"The rift you closed here? You saw how it twisted around time itself, sped up some things and slowed down others. "

"Yes. We saw."

"The magic Alexius is using is wildly dangerous and is unraveling the world."

"Who would have thought that time magic would be unpredictable?" Iron Bull said sarcastically.

"My father is a part of a cult that calls themselves the Venatori." Felix, who was sitting in one of the benches told them.

"And I can tell you one thing: whatever he's done for them, he's done it to get to you."

"Okay, so how do we stop him?"

"There's a secret passage that leads into the Redcliffe castle. Go through there, eliminate the Venatori stationed there to ambush you, and head directly to him." Felix instructed.

"I will be there to help you. But I must be careful. If Alexius found out I was here…" Dorian's sentence trailed off.

Talyn understood. Clearly him and the Magister had a falling out. She asked Felix, "why are you betraying your father?"

There was a sad look to his eyes when Felix said, "because he's not my father anymore."


	14. Chapter 14

"Are you sure about this Talyn? Shouldn't we go back to Haven and wait for Alexius' invitation?" Cassandra asked her as Talyn headed to the entrance that Felix had instructed her to go to.

"Yeah, Boss, we shouldn't trust these strangers." Iron Bull agreed vehemently with Cassandra.

Solas, as usual, had nothing to say except for, "I will follow you, Talyn."

Talyn nodded in thanks to Solas, and said to the others, "couldn't you feel his darkness? Couldn't you feel the malice rolling off of him? I don't want to wait. I want to catch him when he's off guard. Especially since _he_ very well could be the one that made the Breach."

"That's a serious accusation." Cassandra warned Talyn. "Especially against a magister of Tevinter."

"A mage skilled enough to play with time is powerful enough to rip a hole in the Veil." Talyn reasoned with her. "We have to grab him now."

"Well, in that case…" Iron Bull reach for his sword. "Let's kick some Tevinter ass!"

The secret entrance that Felix described was a small door on the outside of the wall that surrounded Redcliffe. He had warned Talyn that there would be more Venatori waiting inside. So Talyn held her bow in her hand and kept her eyes peeled for mages as she led them down the dark, damp tunnel.

It was eerily silent. Not even Talyn or her companions made a sound as they walked down the ancient, forgotten tunnel. Solas had summoned Fade light, and the blue light flickered dimly, casting shadows on the stone walls. It seemed they were alone.

Until there was a shadow on the wall, so fleeting Talyn wouldn't have believed it was there if Cassandra hadn't shouted out a warning. A figure dropped in front of Talyn, as if he had been crawling on the ceiling. With deadly speed the masked man lashed out with a dagger. Talyn jumped backward, the dagger barely brushing her nose. She felt the sting of a cut.

Talyn quickly replaced her bow with her sword, and grabbed her dagger that was strapped to her thigh. She felt Solas put a barrier around her.

The Venatori agent was unlike any foe Talyn had fought before. For once, Talyn actually had to _work_ to save her own life. Two more Venatori dropped from the ceiling and attacked Bull and Cassandra, so Talyn was on her own.

The Venatori was quick and lashed out at Talyn like a viper. It took most of Talyn's energy to block the Venatori's blows. He knocked Talyn's dagger out of her hand and pinned her against the wall, one of his blades on Talyn's throat.

Talyn felt her body start to burn as her markings glowed. The world started to move in slow motion. Talyn looked down at her right hand and curled it into a fist. She looked back up at her attacker and shoved her fist through his chest.

He cried out, and his blades fell from his hands. She felt his heart beating erratically, and she wrapped her hand around it. His scream was cut off and turned into a gurgle as she crushed his heart.

He dropped to the ground. Talyn pick up her sword and dagger and helped the others finish off the other two. By the end of the battle, they were covered in blood and breathing heavily. Even Solas looked worn out.

"You should have asked Felix more about the Venatori." Cassandra scolded Talyn breathlessly. "They were almost as hard to kill as a pride demon."

"Their mages. What did you expect?"

They pushed onward. Any other Venatori they saw, Talyn was able to get an arrow in their throat before they noticed them. Felix had said that this tunnel was supposed to lead to the throne room. From there, they would have to hunt for Alexius. It was a good thing Solas was with them.

Talyn slowly pushed open the door at the end of the tunnel. They were behind Alexius' chair. Talyn knocked an arrow in her bow and quietly walked out from behind the chair.

There was no one in the Great Hall. It was as empty as the Temple of Sacred Ashes had been. And nearly had the same atmosphere as well, with the fire that was the only light in the room dimming with each second.

Talyn looked to Solas, and was about to give instructions, when suddenly, the group wasn't so alone anymore.

As if out of thin air, Alexius and his guards appeared. There was a triumphant smirk on his face.

"Ah, it is so good to see you again my friend! And so soon as well." His voice was mocking.

Talyn's bow was pulled out of her hand as if by magic and thrown across the room. Talyn narrowed her eyes at Alexius.

"Are you that eager to negotiate with me?"

"Oh, absolutely Alexius. Taking away people's freedom of choice and renting them out like mules is my favorite topic of discussion." The sarcasm in Talyn's voice was unmistakable.

"She knows everything, father." A familiar voice said from the shadows. Talyn saw Felix walk up to them.

"Felix? What have you done?" Alexius asked with dread creeping into his arrogant voice.

"Your son is concerned that you're involved with something terrible." Talyn explained with a chipper tone.

"So speaks the thief." Alexius spat at her.

Thief? What was he talking about?

Alexius sneered at her. "So, you think you can turn my son against me? You walk into my stronghold uninvited with your stolen Anchor - a gift you cannot even begin to understand- and you think you're in control?"

Alexius moved close to Talyn, inches from her face, and said with barely controlled rage. "You're nothing but a mistake."

Talyn hated that her gut had been right about Alexius. The more he talked, the more he revealed. The Venatori wanted Talyn because of the Mark on her hand. It only raised more questions than Talyn could handle, so she focused on the most important question of all.

"Alexius, what do you know about the Divine's death?".

Alexius smiled wistfully for a moment. "It was the Elder One's moment. His chance." Then his smile turned into a murderous glare. "And you were unworthy to even stand in his presence!"

 _Bring forth the sacrifice._

The dark voice hissed in her head. Talyn squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.

"Father, listen to yourself! Do you know what you sound like?" Felix implored.

"He sounds like the villainous cliché everyone expects him to be." Another voice interrupted them.

Dorian had also appeared. He stood by the entrance to the Great Hall, with his arms crossed over his chest and a steely glint in his dark eyes.

Alexius, if it was even possible, looked even more enraged. His face turned red. "Dorian. I gave you a chance to be a part of this, and you turned me down. The Elder One has power you wouldn't believe. He will raise Tevinter from its own ashes."

The Elder One… The name sounded so familiar. Why was it so familiar? "What's better than turning back time?" Talyn asked.

"He will make the world bow to mages once more!" Alexius had a crazed look in his eyes. "We will rule from the Boeric Ocean to the Frozen Seas! The Elder One is key to Tevinter's glory!"

"Alexius." Dorian had a pained look on his face. " This is exactly what you and I talked about never wanting to happen! Why would you support this?"

"Give up the Venatori, father, please. Give up the southern mages and let us go home." Felix pleaded.

Alexius looked almost sad as he turned to face his son. "It is the only way, Felix."

"There is no way you can save me, father! My fate is sealed." Felix stared his father straight in the eye. "I will die of this sickness. You need to accept that. "

"But there is a way! The Elder One promised, if I undo the mistake at the Temple..."

 _You're nothing but a mistake._

Talyn had interrupted their Elder One. It was all starting to make sense.

"Father, please!"

"No, Felix. I must save your life."

Suddenly, there were grunts of pain coming from all sides of the room. Talyn saw Leiliana's scouts standing behind the crumpled bodies of Alexius' men. Talyn grinned when she saw the Spymaster herself. She smirked back at Talyn.

That was quick.

Talyn reached for her sword. "Your men are dead, Alexius."

But Alexius didn't look defeated yet. He growled at Talyn, "you are a mistake! You never should have existed."

He reached out with his hand, and black magic oozed from his fingers, dropping to the floor and sliding across it towards Talyn like some sort of toxic fog.

"No!" Solas shouted.

Felix knocked into Alexius and broke his concentration. There was the sound of energy being shot at Talyn, and everything went black.


	15. Chapter 15

Everything had gone dark, and then suddenly Talyn was standing knee deep in water, in what looked to be a dungeon. It was dark, except for the few torches that were in the possession of the two guards, bearing the foreign black, white and red checkered Venatori armor with the full masked helmets.

"Blood of the Elder One!" The one on the left exclaimed. "Where did they come from?"

Dorian was standing next to Talyn. They both looked at each other, and then Dorian sent an ice spike towards one of the guards.

Before they could even react to Dorian's attack, Talyn hooked two fingers in the holes on the guard's helmet and pulled hard, making him lose his balance and fall face first into the water. Quickly she jumped on his back, using her weight to hold him under the water while she deflected the other guard's sword. She balanced precariously on the man's back while he thrashed underneath the water. She pulled out the small knife she kept in her boot and sliced it across the other man's throat.

The one she was standing on had gone still. Talyn jumped off him, the water splashing as she moved as far away from her victims as she could.

Dorian watched her curiously as she wrestled with the unnerving fact that she found it so easy to take another life.

"Where are we?" Talyn tore her eyes away from the guards.

Dorian thought for a moment. "It's probably not what Alexius intended. The rift must have moved us…"

"Moved us where?" Talyn demanded.

All she could think about was Solas, and the others. How Talyn had left them to fend for themselves against Alexius and his time magic. But Leiliana was there as well…

Talyn knew that each and every one of them, especially Solas, could take care of themselves, and they were probably alright. But she couldn't shake her worries.

"The closest confluence of arcane energy?" Dorian guessed.

Talyn blinked in confusion. "The last thing I remember, Alexius was attacking us in the castle hall."

Dorian twirled an end of his moustache while he thought. "Let's see… if we're still in the castle, then it… isn't." His eyes lit up as he realized something. "Of course! It's not _where_ we have to figure out- it's _when!_ Alexius moved us through time!"

Talyn and Dorian had been moved through time? "How is that even possible?"

There was a flash of light, and a sharp pain in her head. In her mind's eye, Talyn saw a door, and a faceless figure looking at her through it.

"Talyn, are you alright?" Dorian asked in alarm.

Talyn nodded. "How do we get back?"

"First, we have to figure out what year the rift took us to. Then we can figure out how to get back… if we can."

Talyn nodded and picked up one of the Venatori's swords. She lost her bow when the time rift had brought Talyn and Dorian here.

"Well… let's figure out where we are."

Talyn and Dorian started to wade through the dirty water.

"What was Alexius trying to do, anyways?" Talyn asked.

"I believe Alexius was trying to remove you completely through time. If you weren't at the Temple of Sacred Ashes, you wouldn't have messed up his Elder One's plans. Something clearly went wrong though."

"Clearly, because I'm still here."

"I think you're surprise at the castle made him reckless. He tried to send you through time before he was ready. His magic is wild, unpredictable. When I countered it, we were sent here. Make sense?"

"Uh…sure. I think so." Talyn responded, keeping her eyes peeled for more guards. "This is insane."

"It's alright." Dorian smirked arrogantly. "I'm here. I'll protect you."

Talyn scowled at him. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Yes. Please, remind me to never, _ever,_ get in your way."

Talyn grinned. And then dread bloomed in her heart as a very real realization made her panic.

"Oh no."

"What?" Dorian asked in alarm.

"The others…" Solas. Oh, Creators, _Solas._ "What happened to them? Were they hurt when we got thrown in time?"

Dorian's voice took on a soothing tone as he heard the panic in her voice. "I doubt that the rift was large enough for the whole room. Alexius wouldn't risk catching himself or Felix in it. Your friends are still probably where and when we left them."

Talyn released a breath she had no idea she had been holding.

They were quiet for a while after that. This half-submerged dungeon seemed to go on for forever.

"Do you know who the Elder One is?" Talyn asked Dorian.

"No. I assume he's the leader of the Venatori. Some magister trying to achieve godhood." Dorian scoffed. "It's the same old tune. 'Here, let's play with magic we barely understand, it will make us incredibly powerful!" He looked disgusted. "Apparently it doesn't matter if you rip a hole through time in the process." `

They were quiet again.

They reached a staircase and walked up to the second floor of the dungeon. What Talyn saw on the second floor made the blood drain from her face.

Spikes of red lyrium sprouted from the stone, emitting a red light that shimmered and moved as if the crystal was alive. It even emitted its own heat. It reminded Talyn too much of the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

"What in Mythal's name…" Talyn whispered.

"Talyn?" A hopeful, desperate, and all too familiar voice called out to her.

"Solas?" Talyn breathed. Then she started running down the hall.

"Talyn, wait!" Dorian tried to stop her.

Talyn didn't care if it was a trap. She had to see if it was really him. She had to make sure her friend was okay.

She saw him leaning heavily against the bars to his cell. There was red lyrium in his cell as well. His eyes that were the purest color of silver Talyn had ever seen had a red tint to them. His skin was an ashen grey, and there seemed to be a red glow about him.

Talyn didn't have to ask to know. The red lyrium was making him sick.

Talyn rushed over to him, covering his icy hands that were gripping the iron bars of his cell with her own. The lyrium markings on her hands started to turn purple. But she didn't let go.

Solas was staring at her like he had the first time they met. "Talyn, you're supposed to be dead."

"Alexius didn't kill us." Dorian explained. "He sent us through time on accident."

"He…" Solas started to cough violently. "It's been one year since you two disappeared in that fog."

"If we can get to Alexius, I might be able to fix this. Send us back to our own time."

Solas shook his head. "That will not be as easy as you think. Alexius is but a servant. The Elder One assassinated the Empress of Orlais and sent a demon army across Thedas. The Elder One is the ruler of Thedas now…. Alexius is _not_ the one you need to worry about."

Oh... _Creators no_. Talyn gripped the bars of the cage so tight her knuckles turned white. And in a dark, enraged voice, she said to Solas, "Then I'll kill them both."

Talyn let go of Solas' hands and moved to the door of Solas' cell. Her markings started to glow and shimmer in the darkness of the dungeon. She gripped the door with two hands, watching the swirls around her fingers light up like the rest of her body. She narrowed her eyes and started to pull on the door.

"Talyn, there is no way you can rip off an iron door." Dorian tried to reason with her.

"I'm not leaving him here to die."

Solas just stood back, leaning against the farthest wall from the door.

"Talyn, you're going to hurt yourself."

Talyn ignored Dorian and focused on her rage. Her rage at Alexius, and his Elder One, the ones who had tortured Solas, and did Creators knows what to the others. The ones who destroyed the world in only one year.

The door to the cell creaked and cried with the force of Talyn's strength. Talyn's arms burned, but still she pulled. Until finally the door gave way and busted open with a loud _slam!_

Talyn rushed inside and hugged Solas. He wrapped his arms around her for a fraction of a second, before roughly shoving her away from him.

He must have seen the hurt in Talyn's eyes, because he said in a raspy voice, "the sickness. It's contagious. Don't come near me."

Her heart hurt for what he must have endured. Talyn nodded, and they headed out of the dungeon.

They entered a somewhat caved in hallway. Paintings were ripped and dirty, hanging haphazardly from the walls. Red lyrium grew from the ground here too. The group avoided it as much as they possibly could.

"We need supplies." Talyn said when they reached a chest filled with potions.

"Yes, potions would be a good idea." Dorian agreed.

They wandered a few hallways at first, while Dorian tried to figure out where in the castle they were. Talyn stopped Dorian and Solas when she started hearing voices. Solas crouched down immediately, sneaking along the wall.

"What-" Dorian was about to say.

But Talyn cut him off by putting a finger to her lips and glaring at him. Dorian started to sneak as well after that.

Talyn led them down the hallway, until she identified the door that the noise was coming from.

"You. Will. Break!" She heard somebody hiss.

Talyn moved closer to the noise and identified the door it was coming from.

Then another familiar voice responded, "I will die first!"

Talyn stood in front of the door, and kicked it in.

Hanging by her shackled wrists, was Leiliana. But she looked ancient. Like the life had been sucked from her, leaving nothing but an empty shell. Her skin was the same ashen grey as Solas'. Her sharp eyes turned to Talyn the moment the door broke.

"Or you will."

Leiliana lifted herself and wrapped her legs around the Venatori that looked like he was in the process of torturing her, and snapped his neck.

Talyn immediately ran to Leiliana's side, scooping up the key to the shackles that was still on the dead guard's person. Leiliana looked at Talyn like she was a miracle.

"You're alive..." She whispered.

"You're safe now, Leiliana. " Talyn tried to comfort her.

She suddenly grew angry. "Safe?" She growled. "If you came back from the dead, you need to do better than 'safe'. You need to end this."

"That was already the plan." Dorian told her.

Leiliana nodded. "Good. The magister is probably in his chambers." She moved slowly, painfully, to a chest in a corner of the torture chamber. She started pulling weapons out of it.

"You... aren't curious as to how we got here?" Dorian asked her.

"No." She responded.

"Alexius sent us through time!" Dorian told her. "This, his victory, his Elder One. It was never meant to be."

"If we get back to the present and stop Alexius, then this will never happen." Her friends would never have to experience this suffering.

Leiliana's eyes narrowed. "And mages wonder why people fear them. No one should have this power."

"Well, yes-" Dorian started.

But Leiliana held up a hand. "Stop it. This is just a fantasy to you, a story that's not real. Well it is real. I suffered, Solas suffered. The whole world suffered. _It is real_. And you are going to end it." She shoved weapons in Talyn's hands. She felt the familiar, smooth wood of her bow.

"Leiliana. Where is Bull and Cassandra?" Talyn looked her in the eye.

Leiliana looked back at her with hard eyes. Her skeletal face showed nothing but apathy. "In the dungeon. I will find them. _Go."_

Talyn dropped her stolen sword and slung her bow over her back. "Thank you."

Then they were off again then, going the way Leiliana pointed them to. It wasn't just the dungeon that was caved in. There were several hallways that Dorian had to use his magic to clear the debris, so they could get through. The castle was dark, and damp, but it was so warm. Talyn was sweating in her ebony armor. The red lyrium crystals that were planted everywhere was the cause of the heat. The longer Talyn was around them, the more her skin started to itch. Like there were bugs underneath her skin.

"The red lyrium is causing a reaction from the lyrium in your skin." Solas stated.

"What reaction?"

"I don't want to find out." Solas told her solemnly


	16. Chapter 16

Along with their weapons, Leiliana had also given them a key. It didn't surprise Talyn that Leiliana would already know the path they would take. The key opened all of the doors that stood in their way.

Solas stayed far back from them, leaning on his staff more than Talyn would have liked. She wanted to help him, but whenever she tried he told her to stay away. He didn't want to get her sick. Talyn did admit that her markings turning a deep shade of purple disturbed her. But she cared about Solas more.

Talyn heard the chanting before Dorian and Solas did. She had noticed over the weeks she'd been with the Inquisition that her hearing was much better than her friends. The lyrium on her skin gave her many powerful gifts. She wondered who was the one to give her such gifts, and why.

They all crouched down. Dorian and Solas followed Talyn as she peeked around a door to see a dark room, only lit with blue fade light candles.

There were about seven men and women dressed in the same spiked red robes that Alexius had been wearing. Six were in a circle, and the seventh was in the middle. There was an unfamiliar symbol on the ground under their feet. The man in the middle was walking around the circle, his arms raised to the ceiling, and his hands gripping an athame that glinted dangerously in the fade light.

"Elder One, we pray unto you." The man began. The people in the circle repeated after him.

"In your name, we offer this sacrifice."

Then he started chanting in a different language. The others joined him. It wasn't elvish, or anything Talyn had ever heard before.

The man in the middle placed the point of the athame to his chest and shoved it through. Blood leaked from his mouth as he groaned and collapsed to the ground.

The men and women in the circle began to fight. Shouting "for the Elder One", they slashed at stabbed each other until each man and woman was dead.

Talyn, Solas, and Dorian all exchanged horrified looks. Just as Talyn was about to sneak past the door, two shades crawled from the floor. Quickly, Talyn knocked two arrows in her bow and shot them through the hearts before they were discovered.

She tried to make sure they avoided as many Venatori and demons as possible. She didn't want their presence to be announced in the castle, and she knew the bodies they had already dropped were going to be found sooner or later. The less bodies, the better.

Her mark was hurting. She refused to let it show, but it was nearing agony to hold her bow. She gritted her teeth and kept going though, because she had no choice.

They came upon a massive door.

"The great hall." Dorian whispered.

"It's warded." Solas also whispered. "Only the key will get us in."

Dorian studied the door closely. "Ah, yes. Of course, Alexius would use the most complicated sort of ward imaginable." He turned to Talyn. "May I borrow some of your blood?"

Talyn looked over at Solas, unsure. He nodded.

"Why?" Talyn asked Dorian.

Dorian looked at her like she was stupid. "Because I can break the ward, with your blood. You have pure, undiluted lyrium in your veins. It's extremely potent."

Talyn shrugged and pulled out a dagger. She handed it to Dorian and held out her tattooed hand.

Dorian took her hand and sliced the palm of her hand. He tilted her hand to the side and let the bleeding wound drip into his hand. When he had enough Talyn pulled her hand away.

Dorian went to the door, and Solas healed Talyn's hand. The moment her wound was healed he let go of it.

She met his eyes.

"Solas…" She started, her voice thick with tears. "I'm sorry I left you to suffer this."

"I thought you were _dead_ , Talyn." Solas' voice was also thick with emotion. "I'd rather suffer the most excruciating torture than feel that pain ever again."

Talyn's heart started to race. Did he just say that? It must have been the sickness that made him speak like this. There was-

The massive door creaked open loudly.

Dorian did a little dance. "Well, come on! We have a magister to kill."

They started walking up the steps.

"I have to get the amulet he wears around his neck." Dorian told them.

"You could have said that a little bit before we arrived at his door?!" Talyn hissed at him.

Dorian just grinned and shrugged.

They entered the hall, where they had been in Talyn and Dorian's own time. Talyn could see Alexius pacing across the dais where his throne was, and she saw someone sitting on the floor next to the throne.

When they drew closer, Talyn gasped.

It was Felix. But his skin was chalky, his eyes blank. He just stared blankly at the group, no recognition in his eyes.

"What did you do to Felix, you bastard!" Dorian shouted at Alexius.

Alexius' head snapped towards them, grief and rage written all over his distraught features. "I just wanted to save him." Alexius said, almost too quiet for anyone to hear him. "The Elder One said he would save him."

Talyn had an arrow pointed at Alexius. "Get us back to our own time, Alexius. We can fix this."

Alexius' eyes narrowed. "No! You were supposed to never be born! This is _your fault!"_

The ground started to shake then. A rift appeared between Alexius and Talyn. Talyn jumped back, knocking into Solas on accident in the process.

Demons poured out of the rift, as if the Breach had never been stabilized.

Talyn dropped her bow and unsheathed her swords. She shouted a battle cry and charged towards the demons, while Solas and Dorian started casting their spells.

She was like a whirlwind with her dual blades, slashing this way and that. The bodies of shades and rage demons fell at her feet. Talyn poured all of her rage into her swords, and as if they were living beings, her swords began to burn a bright blue flame. Her markings were glowing. Even her emerald mark was tinged with blue at the ferocity of Talyn's rage.

Whatever her swords touched, caught flame.

"The amulet Talyn!" Solas was by her side, his red tinted eyes drawing Talyn away from her rage fueled slaughter. "Get the amulet from Alexius!"

Talyn blinked, and the flame on her swords burned out. She shook her head to clear her thoughts of bloodlust and started to sprint towards Alexius. Someone used a blast of wind to clear the way for Talyn.

Talyn's eyes were zoned in on Alexius, who was standing back, a ward up around him. Talyn jumped from the back of a shade doubled over, an arrow sticking out of its chest. Her markings glowed again, and the world seemed to move sluggishly. It was almost like Talyn was looking through the eyes of someone else. Her body raised her swords, which were not on fire, but glowing like the rest of her. And then Talyn felt herself slice through Alexius' ward, and shove her swords through his chest. She heard the tearing of flesh and the breaking of bones as she landed on him.

Time sped up again, and she was herself. Talyn yanked the golden amulet hanging around the blood-soaked mage. Alexius' face was frozen in shock. She turned and saw that the hall was filled now with demons and Venatori. She also saw Iron Bull's horned head and Cassandra's shining armor. She couldn't see Leiliana.

Dread filled her heart. There were too many. There were only six of them, and probably a hundred of them.

She fought her way back to Dorian and handed him the amulet.

"Keep them off me! This is going to take a few minutes."

Talyn moved to Iron Bull's side and continued to fight. But no matter how many demons they cut down, more appeared. The shades were pushing them so far back down the hall, that Talyn couldn't even reach the rift.

"Talyn!" Talyn saw Dorian on the dais, a black rift in front of him. "We have to go!"

Talyn looked back at her friends. She couldn't leave them to die.

"Go!" Leiliana was in front of her, her sunken face cold as stone. "Prevent this future. GO!"

Talyn started to run. She cut down as many of their enemies as she could.

She ran passed Alexius' body.

And then suddenly, Talyn heard Solas yell, "NO!"

She turned around to see Alexius leaning on his elbow, blood pouring out of his mouth.

She also saw Solas staring at her, with his shirt soaked in blood.

 _No._

She saw Cassandra, Bull, and Leiliana being consumed by the demons.

 _Oh Creators no._

She stumbled towards Solas, reaching out to him. He fell, and she caught him, her markings turning purple again. She held him in his arms as he coughed. His blood seeped through his clothes onto Talyn's armor. Her hands were sticky with it.

"Talyn…"

Then strong arms wrapped around Talyn's abdomen and lifted her up. She started a deadly scream, one of pain and anguish.

"NO! LET ME GO YOU BASTARD!"

She couldn't leave him. She kept her eyes on him as she fought against Dorian. He held her eyes, until she saw the life leave his.

"SOLAS!"

Then everything was black.

Talyn was still screaming, her hands turning to a blue flame as they returned to the same hall, in much better repair. Talyn saw red. She didn't see anyone else around her, just Alexius and his surprised face. Dorian let go of her immediately, hissing in pain as Talyn's rage burned him. Talyn sprinted to Alexius, too fast for anyone to catch her, and grabbed him by the throat. The skin on his throat started to burn. Alexius moved to cast a spell, but Cassandra quickly had his hands cuffed.

"We need him to live Talyn. He needs a trial." Talyn barely heard Cassandra say.

"Boss, you need to drop the mage."

"Don't kill him!" She heard Felix's anguish.

Talyn didn't care. All she could see was Solas, with a knife sticking out of his chest. And her friends being consumed by monsters. She saw Leiliana shackled to the ceiling.

 _Kill him._ Something dark and terrible inside her whispered. _Rip his throat out. Tear apart his limbs and feast on his heart._

Yes. Her grip on Alexius' throat tightened.

 _Yessss._ The voice continued. _Show him what happens to those who cross you._

Alexius' legs were kicking furiously.

 _Finish him!_

Something sharp and painful hurt Talyn's hand, the one that was holding up Alexius. Talyn reacted without thinking, dropping the mage.

Then Talyn smelled the forest. Someone grabbed her hand that was still burning, as if the heat of her rage didn't touch him.

" _Lethallan._ "

The flames were immediately extinguished. The red in her vision faded away. Talyn looked to see Solas standing there.

Alive. Solas was alive.

Dorian started to explain what had happened to them. Why Talyn had suddenly grown so furious.

Solas' voice was calm and soothing, his eyes hypnotizing. "Come with me. Let Cassandra deal with Alexius."

Talyn's head snapped towards Alexius, who was still coughing, a bright red burn mark in the shape of a hand around his throat. Solas' grip on her hand tightened.

"Come, Talyn."

Talyn didn't want to punch Solas to get to Alexius, but she would.

Like he could read her mind, he whispered in her ear, "you wouldn't land a blow."

"Would you like to test that theory?" Talyn growled at him.

But Talyn let Solas lead her away from the hall. His warm hand in hers drove away the images of him lying on the floor in a puddle of his own blood.

He led her out of the castle, into the gardens that were in full bloom. It was nearing morning now; the sky was pink with the dawn. They sat down on a bench in a secluded corner of the garden.

And that's all they did. Solas didn't let go of her hand, even though it was covered in blood, and Talyn didn't talk. She just stared at the white roses and let Solas' presence cool the fire in her.

She scooted closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. He let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her. Talyn breathed in deeply and closed her eyes.

Then tears started rolling down her dirt smudged face. She sobbed, loudly, and Solas hugged her tightly.

"I watched you die." She blubbered.

Solas rubbed her back while she cried on him. "That future is dead Talyn. It will never exist."

Her sobbing slowly subsided. When she was done crying, she lifted her head from Solas' shoulder and sniffled. She kept her head down and looked at him through her wet lashes. He wiped away a tear at the corner of her mouth with his thumb. When she looked up at him in surprise, she saw that he was staring at her. He brushed a strand of hair behind her pointed ear.

The air was thick with electricity. Talyn's heart was hammering in her chest, her face was hot. Even the tips of her ears were warm.

"You stepped in front of a knife meant for me." Talyn whispered.

Solas didn't say anything at first. His eyes flickered to her lips for a fraction of a second. Solas had always been good at hiding his thoughts, his face showed nothing. But in his stormy eyes, Talyn saw a war within himself. Talyn was dying with curiosity to know what he was thinking.

Before she could ask, Solas spoke quickly, his voice rough with emotion. "I will never leave your side."

Butterflies erupted in Talyn's belly.

"Herald?" A third voice interrupted their moment.

Talyn slid away from Solas like he was on fire. She looked to see Fiona standing in front of her. She looked as awkward as Talyn felt.

"Alexius was going to help destroy the world." She said.

"Yes. He was."

Fiona took a deep breath. "If we helped you with the Breach, would you protect us against the Templars?"

Talyn stood and faced Fiona. "Grand Enchanter Fiona, I swear to you on my life and my gods, I will personally cut down any who wish to harm you. Whether or not you wish to help us with the Breach, I will be your ally."

Fiona held out her hand. "Then consider my mages and I a part of your Inquisition."

Talyn grasped Fiona's forearm. She smiled at her. "Welcome. We're more than relieved to have you."

Solas was smiling as well.

Talyn walked back into the castle and tracked down Iron Bull. He was flirting with one of the maids. A redhead, who was rather well endowed.

Talyn didn't even bother to announce herself. She just walked up to Iron Bull and stood on her tip toes to wrap her arms around in his neck.

"Oh… Uh, Boss…" Iron Bull awkwardly hugged her back. "Boss… you can let go now."

Talyn let go of him and punched him in the shoulder. "Stop calling me Boss."

Then she walked away from a very bewildered Iron Bull to find Cassandra talking with Leiliana. Alexius was already taken care of it looked like. Cassandra and Leiliana's reactions to Talyn's random hugs was more or less the same. When Talyn told them about the mages joining the Inquisition, even Cassandra whooped for joy, despite her reservations with the mages.

Now all they needed to do was close the Breach.


	17. Chapter 17

They were almost ready for the Breach. The moment everyone got back to Haven, the mages started to prepare for the tiring ordeal they were about to go through. The others on the council were more relieved that the Breach issue was about to be resolved, rather than the fact that Talyn had led them all into Redcliffe without so much as letting everyone know they were alright.

When they had received Alexius' invitation, they had grown worried. Apparently, Cullen was going to lead the Inquisition's full forces through the Hinterlands in search of them. That's why they had sent Leiliana.

The tavern smelled of smoke and blood. Somewhere there was a fiddle being played, but it's melodic music was drowned out by the roaring laughter of drunk soldiers. All around Talyn they were laughing, slapping each other on the back, telling war stories. She was sitting with Iron Bull and his Chargers in a corner of the room, where they were teaching her how to play Wicked Grace. It was not going well.

She furrowed her eyebrows as once again she lost. Krem was chuckling as he swept up the cards and shuffled them again.

"This game is stupid." Talyn huffed.

"You only think that because you suck at it." Skinner told her rather bluntly.

Everyone started laughing when Talyn threw an empty mug at the city elf. She neatly dodged it.

Grim stood next to Talyn and grunted. The man never smiled. It unnerved Talyn.

She stood up. "All yours Grim."

She decided she needed some fresh air. So, she weaved through the crowd towards the less used exit out of the tavern. Soldiers whooped and cheered as Talyn passed. Someone shoved a mug in her hand. She grinned at them and chugged the contents of the mug. She passed on the empty cup to someone else and finally managed to sneak out through the backdoor of the tavern.

Ever since Redcliffe, Talyn had given up on stopping everyone from revering her as a hero. As their Herald. Not because she actually believed she was the Herald of a god that was not her own, but because it was a hopeless cause. So she let them cheer and praise her.

Even though she didn't deserve it.

Talyn started walking through the dark, mostly empty streets of Haven. It was late, so everyone was either in bed or at the tavern. It was snowing again; the little snowflakes were melting in her hair. And even though she wasn't wearing a cloak, she didn't feel the cold. Not as a normal person should.

There was something dark and evil inside of Talyn. She felt it when she almost choked the life from Alexius. She heard that small voice, telling her to end him, to show to everyone else what happened when they crossed her. That darkness terrified Talyn. She didn't so much as use her bow to hunt for the entire duration of their trip back to Haven because of it.

She needed to know who she was, before the Conclave. Now it wasn't just curiosity that drove her. It was desperation. Because she _felt_ like she was good. That she was on the side of warm sunshine and summer breezes. But when she had Alexius by his throat, when her rage was so strong she was literally on fire, the icy touch of darkness, death, and decay had been opened up to her. The side of Talyn that was buried with her memories had emerged.

And only Solas was able to bring her back from that. Only Solas had been able to draw her away from the source of her bloodlust, to bring her back from that darkness.

That also scared her. Because in that moment, she knew that Solas had a part of her heart that no one else was able to touch.

She ran into someone.

Solas steadied her before she could fall on her ass.

"Distracted, are we?" Solas smiled at her.

Talyn's face was red. "I was just thinking." She started to walk away from him.

But he walked beside her. "I was thinking as well."

"What were you thinking about?"

Solas shook his head, a small smile still on his face. "I will tell you when you tell me."

And because Solas' silver eyes always found a way to hypnotize Talyn, she couldn't help herself.

"When I had Alexius' life in my hands, there was a part of me that was telling me to kill him. And I liked that part of me. I let it consume me. If you didn't stop me, I would have snapped his neck."

She kept talking, her eyes on the ground now as they walked. "The fact that I even had that in me, and the fact that I had so easily given into it, means that I'm not... _good,_ Solas."

Solas abruptly stopped, and grabbed her wrist, spinning Talyn around to face him. He stared at Talyn intensely, his eyes burning with passion.

"You are not evil." He said in a low voice. "You are light, Talyn. And everyone else is dark. You bring out the sun and chase away the terrors of night."

Her heart started hammering in her chest. "But I-"

Solas cut her off. "You had just come back from a future where everyone you cared about died. Your response was completely logical."

Talyn ran her free hand through her hair. "But-"

Solas caught her other hand and held both of hers tightly. "You have nothing to fear, Talyn."

Talyn looked down at their joined hands, then back up at Solas' face. "That day… my hands were on fire. They burned Alexius, and Dorian. But… they didn't burn you."

Solas' face was unreadable, as usual. But he answered, "no, they did not."

Solas abruptly looked up at the ebony and emerald sky. "It is late. Tomorrow will require much energy, for both of us."

Talyn looked up at the sky as well. "You're right."

But she wasn't quite ready to leave Solas' side just yet. She felt disappointed. He walked her to her little home, and they stopped to say their goodbyes in front of her door, where icicles hung dangerously from the roof.

Solas smiled at her again. She would never understand how Solas could smile, and still keep his thoughts from showing on his face.

"Goodnight Talyn." He turned to leave.

"Solas?" Talyn said.

He faced her again. "Yes?"

"What were you thinking about?"

Pain flashed across his features briefly. "About a time long before this one."

He turned and left.

They were back at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. The sky was dark and ominous, and the wind howled through the broken pillars of what was once a magnificent temple. There seemed to be more shards of red lyrium than there had been the last time Talyn had come here. They seemed to be growing like trees. The rebel mages of Redcliffe were all wearing the same dark blue robes, each with their staves in front of them, the jewels on each one glowing faintly in reaction to the Breach above them. An Inquisition soldier stood between each mage, their swords drawn, and their faces set in deadly determination.

"Demons may appear." Solas had warned them, which was why Talyn was standing in the middle of the ruins, her own sword drawn. She requested that no one else be below on the ground with her. Whatever happened, she needed to take care of it herself. Everyone was furious with her decision. Cassandra had slapped her across the face, thinking that would bring some sense into her. Eventually they came around, when Solas had said that it was probably a good idea that Talyn be by herself. No one would know what would happen in the process of closing the Breach, and Talyn would be the safest, since she had the mark.

Her marked hand was burning, the pain shooting up her arm, making it impossible for her to use her bow. It was because of the nearness of the Breach, the cause of her mark. Talyn hoped that with the closing of the Breach, her mark, and the pain associated with it, would disappear as well.

Solas was standing with the other mages, standing out amongst the dark blue. Although everyone was watching her, she could feel _his_ gaze.

Fiona was barking commands from somewhere within the ring of mages. Talyn could feel the Breach awaken, could feel it's life force coursing through her bones, like it was a living, breathing being instead of a portal to another world. She felt her own blood awaken in response, her body tingling with pent up energy, her marked hand burning. Her body started to glow, her markings started to swirl, the light pulsing like a heartbeat.

She looked up at the dark sky broken by emeralds, her breath being swept out of her body like she was in the middle of a windstorm. Her left hand was pulling her, so she didn't fight it. She let it rise in the air, the mark calling the Breach, begging to go home.

The jewels on the staves of each mage started to glow brighter, and light shot from the staves into the sky. Talyn could feel the life of each mage, each soldier in the area. It was like they were suddenly one being, one entity.

Talyn started to gasp for air. But she held on. She held on more dearly than she had held onto future Solas, pouring every ounce of energy into staying upright, staying conscious.

There was a crack, like a bolt of lightning, and shades crawled from beneath the ground, their hunger for human life oozing out of every pour of their being.

"Talyn!" She heard Cassandra frantically shout from above.

Talyn whirled around and cut down the demons that had risen in response to their portal being closed.

The wind was blowing harder now, pulling Talyn's hair out of its braid and making it fly this way and that. A rage demon clamped its fiery hands on Talyn's arm, singing her armor. She brought her blade down on the demon's wrists and shook the severed hands off before it could burn through her ebony armor. The demon's screeches were cut off when its head was cut from its shoulders.

A crack of thunder boomed above them as the sky turned black, the clouds spinning around the Breach like a whirlpool. Green light illuminated Talyn, turning her skin a sickly shade of pale. There were sparks coming from the mark.

More demons were appearing faster than Talyn could cut them down, each one hell bent on protecting the Breach. They were even starting to make their way to the mages. The Inquisition soldiers fled the mage's sides to kill the demons before they could reach them.

She felt someone at her back. When she turned, she saw Solas fighting off the demons beside her, the light turning his skin the same shade of sickly pale.

Panic set in. "What the hell are you doing?!" Talyn screamed above the roaring thunder and vicious wind.

Solas didn't respond, but she felt the tingling sensation of a shield being formed around her.

So Talyn pushed even harder through her pain, her loss of breath. It wasn't just her now that she had to protect, it was _him._

There was a ringing now, like a musical note.

"Now Talyn!" Solas shouted.

She already knew what he meant. Talyn lifted her hand in the air once more and called the Breach.

White hot pain was all Talyn felt before the world turned black.

"Talyn?! Talyn?!" Someone was frantically shaking her.

Talyn coughed and opened her eyes. Then immediately shut them. It was too bright.

"She's alive!" She identified the voice as Fiona.

"Thank the Maker!" Cried Cassandra.

Someone lifted her in their arms. She felt something stab her side. It felt like bone.

"It's over, Talyn." That soft, gentle voice that was all too familiar to Talyn said in her ear. "We did it. The Breach is closed."

Talyn let sleep take her again.

She woke up in her bed, with a low fire crackling softly. Over the sound of the popping wood Talyn could hear laughter and music. The moonlight filtered through her window, illuminating the dust particles in the air.

She looked down at her hand, and saw the mark shimmering faintly. Disappointment fell over her like a dark cloud.

Her head ached, her muscles were sore, but aside from that Talyn felt fine. Normal, except for her disappointment. Her mark hadn't disappeared, and she hadn't regained her memories in the closing of the Breach. But she knew it was closed. She couldn't feel its presence in her veins, couldn't hear it's heartbeat echoing in the back of her mind.

She got out of bed, slowly, wincing as her sore muscles protested. She quickly pulled on her armor. She couldn't walk around in anything else. It was like her armor was a part of her, like her second skin. She put her knives where they were supposed to go and headed out into the town that was alive with the sound of celebrations.

She looked up at the sky and saw thousands of stars glittering like jewels against a black canvas. There was no more emerald cloud.

She grinned.

She made her way down to the tavern that was overflowing with people. Along the way, people laughed and cheered when they saw Talyn, hugging her tightly and jumping around like children. Their elation was contagious. Talyn found herself grinning, her heartbeat quickening with excitement.

She pushed passed the crowds and shoved her way into the tavern. Iron Bull was the first to spot her.

"Someone get the Herald of Andraste a beer!" He shouted.

At his words, the tavern turned quiet, and everyone turned to look at Talyn.

She felt her face growing warmer with each second the silence lasted.

Then the entire tavern shook with the roar of cheers that erupted in that tiny space. Talyn was lifted by Krem and Stitches, and she sat on their shoulders as they paraded her around the tavern. Every single person in that room started to chant, their voices rattling the very ceiling, "Herald! Herald! Herald!"

Talyn was laughing, her face beet red. But her heart soared. They had done it. It was over. The world was safe now, safe from being swallowed whole by the Fade.

She saw in the far corner of the tavern a lone elf with silver eyes. He smiled and lifted his mug in cheers.

Talyn grinned back at him.

Everything was going to be alright.

Until there was a deep, booming sound. Like thunder that echoed through the mountains, a song of terror and nightmares. Talyn's sharp ears was the first to hear it above the roar of the crowd. She immediately fixated her eyes on the ceiling, becoming stiff, her hand gripping her mug so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Everyone else grew quiet as the second boom sounded, making the hairs on the back of Talyn's neck stand up.

Somewhere deep inside of her, a resemblance of a memory stirred, stretching it's long forgotten legs.

She _knew that sound._

Talyn hopped off of Krem and Stitches shoulders, her mug of beer clattering to the ground and splashing a few pairs of boots.

" _GET TO SHELTER!"_ Talyn screamed above what she now knew was a roar that was becoming louder. She started to shove past the men and women in the tavern. " _RUN TO THE CHANTRY!"_

Iron Bull met Talyn's wide eyes.

"DRAGOOOON!" He boomed.

Everyone started to scream and shout. Inquisition soldiers quickly scrambled for their weapons, children were nearly trampled as everyone tried to shove their way out of the narrow exit from the tavern.

Talyn looked for Solas, but he had disappeared into the crowd. So Talyn scrambled onto a table near a window and rammed her elbow into the glass. She jumped through the shattered window. People fought to get out through the window behind her.

As she ran up to her cabin, she shouted for everyone to run for the chantry. She saw Leiliana and Dorian do the same.

Talyn kicked in her door, and grabbed her sword, quiver and bow. But when she ran back outside, there was a sight so horrifying it made her stop in her tracks. It made her blood freeze in her veins.

From her vantage point on the hill, Talyn saw an army of angry molten faces and black daggers of poison. She saw creatures with red crystals sticking out of them, carrying torches with fire so red it truly looked like it was bleeding.

An actual tear ran down her face. Their little sanctuary had no chance against a demon army _and a dragon._

The wind kicked up, and she heard the sound of flapping wings. Talyn nearly dropped her bow in her scramble to cover her ears as her very bones rattled. A huge, black shadow filled the sky and blocked the stars, its wings spread out so wide it covered the entire moon. A bright, burning column of fire burst from the inky black monster.

Talyn raced to the gate to Haven, praying to each of her gods that the gates were shut. Cassandra, Solas, Cullen, Josephine, and Leiliana were already at the gates.

"Our scouts report a massive army, the bulk of it on the other side of the mountain." Cullen reported.

"Under what banner?" Josephine asked.

Everyone just looked at each other, the silence turning to dread as the realization that they did not know who this enemy was sank in.

Someone banged on the gates. "I want to help!" A young boy's voice came through.

Talyn looked at the others in alarm.

"I can't come in unless you open the gate! I want to help!"

On an impulse, Talyn unlatched the gate and shoved it open, ignoring the shouts telling her to stop.

A young man stumbled through, and Talyn quickly shut the gate.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

He looked about eighteen. He wore a wide brimmed hat that covered most of his face. But when he looked up at Talyn, she saw a pair of the most gentle, deep blue eyes she had ever seen. But they were wide with terror.

"I am Cole. I came to help you! To warn you!" The boy said. "There are bad people coming! They want to hurt you." He stammered, his eyes glazing over.. "You probably already know."

"What is this?!" Talyn demanded, grabbing the boy by the shoulders and making him focus. "What's going on?"

Cole's face grew somber, and in a solemn voice that sounded far older than he was, he said, "the Templars are coming to kill you."

"Templars?!" Cullen growled, stomping over to Cole. The boy flinched and jerked away from him. "Is this the Order's response to our talks with the mages? Attacking Haven!"

Cole looked frightened. "The Red Templars went to the Elder One." His eyes went straight to Talyn.

Talyn was so still her heart was barely beating.

"You know him?" Cole grew frantic. "He knows you. You took his mages!" He pointed to a hill in the distance.

"There."

Talyn saw a monster. He was tall, and ghastly, on his head grew crystals the wrapped around it, like some kind of helmet. On his face was so much rage, and black hatred.

Talyn met the other's horrified eyes, her heartbeat racing with barely concealed panic.

"He's very angry that you took his mages." Cole went on. "So he took the Templars."

"Cullen! Give me a plan!" Talyn barked at him.

Cullen had deadly determination on his face, his voice was stone. "Haven is no fortress. If we are to win, we must control the battle. Get out there and hit that force. Use everything you can."

"Our main concern right now is getting everyone to safety." Talyn's mind was crystal clear. There was so much adrenaline in her body that her limbs were shaking with energy. She was terrified, but it was her terror that made her think so clearly.

She looked to Cassandra. "You have to start getting everyone to the Chantry. It's the sturdiest building in the whole town." And the only one made purely out of stone.

"Yes, Herald." Cassandra started to run.

Talyn looked up at the sky. The dragon wasn't doing anything, just circling the moon. She looked to Solas. "Grab as many mages as you can and ward the Chantry. We have to keep that dragon from baking us for as long as we can."

He nodded once and grabbed two mages by the arms, taking them with him.

She turned to Cullen. "Are you ready?"

Cullen unsheathed his sword and held it in the air, facing the Inquisition soldiers that had gathered around the gate, each one with their swords drawn, their faces pale with fear.

"Inquisition! You have sanction to engage the enemy. Be quick, he will not make it easy!" He pointed his sword at the gate. Two men shoved it open. "Follow the Herald!"

Talyn slung her bow across her back and unsheathed her sword. Talyn shouted a war cry and ran through the gate, a chorus of shouts echoing behind her. They ran down the mountain path, straight for the catapults that waited for them.

Men climbed onto the catapults and immediately went to work on loading it. Talyn attacked the demons and "red" Templars that tried to kill those who were working on the catapults. Cole had named them perfectly, the red Templars. Shards of what looked to be red lyrium sprouted from them like fungus in the forest. There was a red haze about them, like when Talyn had traveled a year into the future and saw her friends poisoned with red lyrium.

There were stronger than normal men. She saw Iron Bull swinging his massive sword, easily cutting down the enemy. Dorian, who she hadn't seen since they arrived in Haven, was also fighting alongside the Qunari, the fire from his staff illuminating that mountain path, making the blood-spattered snow sparkle like rubies and diamonds.

Skinner weaved through the battlefield, her deadly daggers moving too fast for the eye to see. Dalish was attacking from above, her "bow" shooting lightning.

Talyn saw a shade moving sluggishly towards Dalish. The elf didn't even notice.

Talyn sheathed her sword and pulled out her bow, knocking an arrow in and shooting the shade that would have killed the mage.

"HERALD!" Someone shouted.

Talyn turned just in time to see a red Templar bringing his sword down on Talyn. She barely dodged the sword. She felt her cheek sting. She pulled one of her daggers from her boot and shoved it in the Templar's neck. Blood spurted from the wound, splashing across Talyn's face. She ripped the dagger out of his neck and unsheathed her sword, attacking with both the dagger and the sword.

The catapults were intact, but they were still losing the battle. They were simply too overwhelmed. There were thousands of the demon army, and just a few hundred of the Inquisition. Their forces crashed down on them like tidal waves, taking out more and more of their people with each one.

Dalish was still high above them. There was a man, with red shards sticking out of him, right behind her.

"DALISH!" Talyn shouted.

It was too late though. Talyn barely had her bow in her hands before the man plunged a dagger in the elf's back.

Time moved slowly as Talyn watched in horror as the life fled Dalish's eyes and her body tumble off of the cliff.

She watched Skinner's head roll over the snow, a red Templar wielding a battleaxe grinning wickedly above her corpse that was gushing blood.

"NO!" She screamed, hot tears rolling down her blood-stained cheeks. She could hear the Chargers shouting as well.

She watched Iron Bull charge at the demons, not even bothering with his sword anymore. She watched him bash a red templars skull in with just his bare hands, grief and pain and rage pouring from him.

"Herald, we have to retreat!" Cullen shouted over the song of war.

Talyn barely heard him. Just like in the Redcliffe castle, her rage and anguish consumed her. Her markings glowed more brightly as she moved like a tiny whirlwind, her anger so potent that she sliced through the red Templar's armor like it was nothing more than cloth.

"TALYN!" Cullen barely blocked her blow as he dashed in front of her. Talyn held her sword there, breathing hard, her face set in a growl. Cullen looked at her wide terrified, worried eyes.

It took Talyn a moment for her to realize that Cullen was not the enemy. She took a step back and put down her sword.

"We have to retreat! There are too many!" He told her.

Her rage had dimmed enough for her to come to her senses. She nodded.

"RETREAT!" She shouted, running back up the mountain path.

The masses started to follow her as everyone started shouting for everyone else to retreat. The demon army followed them. They all ran back through the gates to Haven, and when they were all in they shut the gate.

They only had a few minutes before they were at the gates. It looked like Cassandra got the others in the Chantry though.

"Bar the gates!" Talyn ordered.

Men started to scramble for the thick pieces of wood that were used to go over the gates.

"Talyn…" Iron Bull's voice was thick with emotion.

"I know, Bull." Talyn said, tears in her own voice. "I know."

The dragon roared, it's voice freezing Talyn's heart.

"We need to get to the Chantry!" Cullen told her. "It's the only building that'll hold against that… beast!"

So they started to run up the hill to the Chantry.

A bright flame lit up the sky, hitting some of the houses. It's heat so intense the thick blanket of snow surrounding the area instantly melted.

She heard the screams of those who got caught in the flame.

"Help! Help!" Someone screamed. Talyn saw a little girl frantically screaming, her mother lying under a large, burning piece of wood. She wasn't moving.

Talyn grabbed the child.

"No! You have to help my mommy!" She cried.

"I can't sweetie, I'm sorry."

She, and what was left of the Inquisition, shoved their way into the Chantry.

"Lilly!" Someone cried, running towards Talyn, who was still holding the little girl. She handed Lilly off to her relative and went straight for her council.

But then she stopped when she saw Cole passing her, helping Chancellor Roderick walk. The older man was holding a hand to his abdomen, his robes stained red.

"He tried to stop a Templar." Cole explained with eerie calm when he saw her gaze. "The blade went right through him. He's going to die."

"What a charming boy." Roderick managed to spit sarcastically through his grunts of pain.

"Herald!" Cullen ran up to her. "Our position isn't good. We don't know when that dragon is going to strike again. It'll kill everyone in Haven!"

"The Elder One doesn't care about the villagers." Cole said, his clear blue eyes on Talyn. "He just wants her."

"If it'll save these people, he can have me!"

And Talyn meant it too. If giving herself up to this Elder One would save all of these lives, she would do it. She would do anything to prevent more death.

"It won't work." Cole said. "He wants to kill you, everyone else doesn't matter. But he'll kill them anyways. He'll crush them."

"There…" Roderick coughed. "I…"

Cole tilted his head, his eyes unfocusing. Then he looked to a door.

"Yes, that-" He said to no one in particular.

Then he looked back at Cullen and Talyn. "Chancellor Roderick can help. He wants to say it before he dies."

Talyn was going to have to question her sanity on letting this strange boy in when this was all over. She knelt next to the cot that he was lying on.

"What is it, Chancellor?" She asked gently as he wheezed.

"There is a path. You wouldn't know it-" he coughed, "you wouldn't know it unless you made the pilgrimage, as I have." He struggled to sit up, his voice growing stronger. "Andraste showed it to me. She must have showed it to me, so I could tell you. Maybe… maybe you are the Herald."

"No, Roderick. I'm just an elf. But I appreciate the apology." Talyn said gently.

She stood up and faced Cullen.

"Will it work?" She asked.

"Yes, it would. But even if we escape the army, there's still the problem with that damn dragon!" Cullen growled in frustration. "It could kill us in a moment's notice."

Talyn looked around the room. At all of the dirt smudged faces with tear tracks, the hopelessness she saw in each pair of eyes that met her own. If they didn't leave the Chantry now, the demon army was going to break through those gates and slaughter them all.

She saw Iron Bull sitting with Stitches, who was patching up the Qunari, his face expressionless. She saw Solas walking around the room, healing those he could.

She saw Cassandra running around the Chantry helping to bar the doors and board up the windows.

In her mind's eye, she saw Dalish's smiling face as she tried to tell Talyn that her staff was a bow. She heard her telling her all the stories of their people that Talyn had forgotten. She saw Skinner laughing as Krem taught Talyn how to play Wicked Grace.

Talyn slung her bow across her back. "The Elder One wants me. So he'll get me."

"What, Talyn? Are you insane?" Cullen asked her.

"I can keep that dragon, and that army, distracted long enough for you to get everyone safely away from Haven."

"No." Solas appeared from nowhere, his voice panicked. "You can't, Talyn. He will kill you."

Talyn gave him her best fake reassuring smile she could. "No he won't, Solas. How many times should I have died by now? I'll be fine."

"Let me come with you, then."

"No."

"Talyn, you can't go alone!" Cullen also protested.

Talyn started walking towards the exit. The room was quiet, except for those who whispered soft prayers for Talyn, their voices solemn and thick with tears as they realized what Talyn was about to do.

"May the Maker protect you."

That was what they whispered to Talyn.

When she reached the door, Talyn turned to look at her friends one more time. Varric, Dorian, Leiliana, Cassandra, and Iron Bull all stared back with pride burning in their eyes.

Varric walked up to Talyn. "Well, Firefly. Good luck. Try not to die."

"Make them bleed." Iron Bull said to her, his voice little more than a growl.

"We'll need more than a few minutes." Cassandra told her. She seemed to be one of the only ones who wasn't protesting Talyn's decision.

"I'll give you all the time in the world." Talyn reassured her. "I'll blast that fucking dragon out of the sky if that's what it takes."

Talyn couldn't bring herself to say anything else to them. Couldn't make her voice form words. She just listened to them. Then, without looking at Solas once, Talyn turned around and walked out the door into the cold, burning village.

She heard the booming of something heavy being shoved against the gates. The dragon roared above her. All Talyn could see outside the wall of Haven was an ocean of bleeding fires and doom.

She ran to the wall opposite of where the army was, and jumped, grabbing hold of two of the columns of wood and hoisting herself up and over it. She ran through the deep snow to the tallest hill that was far from Haven, but very much visible to the tall monstrous figure presiding over the siege.

She grabbed her bow and aimed an arrow at the Elder One. She let the arrow loose. As she had predicted, the arrow bounced off of his magic shield. But it got his attention. His hideously deformed head whipped around in the direction of Talyn, his eyes burning with the hatred of a thousand worlds.

"ELDER ONE!" Talyn shouted, letting loose another arrow in his direction. He dodged it.

"COME AND GET ME!"

The dragon above them roared. The Elder One barked orders to his army, and they abandoned the gates, running towards Talyn instead.

Talyn started to run. She ran towards the white capped trees sloping gently up the mountainside. The darkness sheltered her, her black armor for once becoming useful as she darted through the trees, fighting to stay ahead of the thousands that wanted her dead.

The higher Talyn ran up the snowy mountainside, the harder it was to breathe. The icy air stabbed at her throat and froze her lungs, and her sore body burned with the effort it took her. The one thing that kept her going was her friends, her _people,_ who were now on their way safely out of the town.

She heard the dragon's roar, so loud it shook the mountainside. She heard a crack of what sounded like thunder, and then the sky was ablaze. Talyn felt intense heat behind her, and then the trees started to pop and groan. The air started to grow thick with smoke. Talyn pushed herself to go faster.

She cleared the trees and found herself to be on a cliff, high above Haven. The forest was burning, the embers rising high in the sky. The dragon was circling the forest, letting loose it's flames every so often, as if hoping to catch Talyn in the blaze.

Talyn grabbed her bow and aimed an arrow at the beast.

It bounced off of its inky black scales. Its massive head whipped around to her direction, snarling like a wolf, it's fangs twice as long as Talyn was. It roared, and a blast of blood red fire came hurtling right at her.

She managed to get out of the way just in time, landing in the snow on her stomach while the fire hit the mountain and melted the snow with its intense heat. A wall of steam went up in the air, making it impossible for Talyn to see anything. Then, she saw him. The tall, monstrous shape of the "Elder One" walking out of the mist.

Talyn went to get back on her feet, but she was blown back by an invisible force.

"Enough!" His voice was deep and oily, and it made Talyn shiver like a thousand snakes was sliding up her body. He was so thin, his ribs were poking out from underneath his deformed skin, his shoulders bulging with black stone that seemed to be growing from him. "Your days of toying with forces you do not understand are over, Pretender."

"What are you?!" Talyn demanded. The _whooshing_ of the dragon's wings above their head was so loud that she had to shout over it.

The Elder One scoffed. "Mortals, always asking questions they are too weak to understand."

"I am not weak." Talyn spat at him.

"Mortal or not, you are still weak."

Before Talyn had a chance to defend herself, she found that she was hanging in the air, one his dry, skeletal hands wrapped around her neck. She made choking sounds as she fought for her. She clawed at his fingers, swung her legs to try to kick him.

"Know me, know what _you_ have pretended to be."

He brought her closer to him so that Talyn could smell the decay on his breath and could see the evil in his blood red eyes. "Exalt the Elder One, the will that is _Corypheus."_

He dropped her, and Talyn gasped for air, clutching her throat that was throbbing with pain. She fought to get to her feet.

"You will kneel."

Talyn shook her head. "Never!" She shouted, which threw her into a coughing fit.

Corypheus pulled out an ebony orb that familiar symbols wrapped around it's surface. "I will get what I want, either way. I am here to take back what you have stolen from me, the Anchor which you have so misused."

The orb started to glow.

"The process for removing it begins now."

Talyn cried out in pain and clutched her left hand. It felt exactly like when she had first woken up so long ago. Her legs trembled with the strength it took to keep her upright, black dots darted in and out of her vision.

"It's your fault." Corypheus spoke above her cries. "You interrupted a ritual years in the planning when you appeared in that temple. And instead of dying, you have stolen its purpose. I do not know how it is that you were able to materialize out of air in that room, or how you were able to survive the process. But that thing that marks you as Touched, Blessed, the thing you that fling at rifts like a toy, I crafted to assault the very heavens."

With a flick of his wrist, he had Talyn on the ground, face first in the snow. The agony was so unbearable, Talyn couldn't move. She couldn't do anything but stay doubled over as whatever device Corypheus was using sucked out her soul.

"And you used it to destroy my work!" He shouted, the sound like a million glass shards in her ears. "The gall!"

"W-What is this thing meant to do?!" Talyn managed to shout back.

"It brings certainty where there is uncertainty. For you, the certainty that I will always come for it."

Corypheus reached down and grabbed her by the wrist, lifting her up in the air again. He spoke while he stared at it. "I once breached the Fade in the name of another, to serve the Old Gods of the Empire in person. I found only chaos and corruption, and dead whispers. For a thousand years I was left confused, but no more. I have gathered the will to enter under no name but my own. I will save the Empire and this blighted world."

He leaned forward so that he could whisper in her ear. "Beg that I succeed, for I searched for the throne of the gods, and found it was _empty!"_

A crack of lightning jolted through Talyn's body, making her cry out again. She was thrown against the rock wall of the mountain.

"The Anchor is permanent. You have spoiled it with your stumbling." He spoke with disgust. "Now I must find a new way to take the Throne. But so be it. I will do whatever it takes to give this world the God it requires."

Then he walked back into the mist, and the beast that had been circling them in the sky hovered in the air, it's scaly mouth pulled back to show its large ivory teeth. The booming sound of it's roar made Talyn's ears sting.

Talyn snarled back at the beast, The sound as familiar as her own heartbeat. She reached behind her to pull out an arrow from her quiver. Her bow was too far away to dive for, and her arm was still shaking to the point where she couldn't even have used it anyways.

The dragon and Talyn both stared the other down.

Talyn thought back to Dalish, and Skinner, and that little girl whose mother would never sing her to sleep again. She thought of her friends, of future Solas bleeding to death in Talyn's arms.

The dragon roared and flapped its massive wings, diving straight towards Talyn.

It angered Talyn. So much rage at the pain and suffering she had to witness made her markings start to glow, made her hands to catch that strange blue fire.

It was all because of this Corypheus, and his fucking dragon.

Talyn sprinted towards the edge of the cliff, shouting a war cry. She pushed off the edge and jumped into the empty air. The dragon's head rose above her, smoke curling from it's nostrils. The dragon's roar was deafening. But Talyn roared right back as she brought her sword on it's head.

But there was a loud _BOOM!_ Talyn was shoved back by the force of it, and so was the dragon. The dragon spun out of control and slammed into the mountainside.

Talyn hit a rock wall, hitting the back of her head and falling to the ground.

The ground started to rumble, and the rocks clattering together like a tragic lullaby. The mountain groaned.

Talyn saw a giant wall of white rolling towards her.

 _Avalanche._

For some reason, Talyn held her breath as the snow hit her.


	18. Chapter 18

There was only darkness, and the cold touch of death. Talyn blindly gripped onto the ice that would become her coffin and desperately pulled, frantically trying to climb out of the snow piled on top of her. It seemed like an impossible feat, because the more Talyn climbed, the more snow that seemed to fall on her. She could barely breathe, the snow was everywhere, clogging her nose, her mouth. Panic was starting to consume her. She fought harder, reaching her hands as far as they would go, grabbing a hold of anything that wouldn't crumble at the slightest pressure.

She felt her hand reach up out of the snow. She felt around, and her fingers brushed something solid. She grabbed onto it, fighting to shove her other hand up out of the snow. Once both hands were holding the object, she pulled with all her might.

The full moon and fresh air greeted her. She gasped for air as she pulled herself up out of the snow and collapsed.

She rolled onto her back and looked at her surroundings. The avalanche had carried her down the mountain, and she had fallen through the caved in ceiling of what looked like an abandoned mining tunnel. The full moon shone down from the opening where Talyn must have fallen through, being buried under what had felt like a mountain of snow. Snow slowly poured through the opening in the ceiling, like an hourglass.

The walls were rough, and made of stone, with quick, careless construction to hold up the ceiling. Perhaps, if whoever had created this tunnel all those years ago, had actually done their job correctly the mining tunnel would still be open.

She was so cold, but so warm. She was exhausted, her energy spent beyond any point of return. As she lay there, she felt her body relaxing, her eyes closing as the warmth she began to feel started to lull her into a much-needed sleep.

 _Sleep._ The mountain whispered to her. _Give into me._

There was something she had to do though.

 _No._ The mountain told her. _There is nothing to do but dream._

Yes. Dream. Talyn wanted to dream of the blazing sun, and a hot meal. She wanted to smell and hear and feel a crackling fire. She wanted to dream of days where she was free of pain, of worry, of sorrow.

There was something warm on the back of her head. It tickled. She lifted a heavy arm and scratched, only for her head to sting. She lifted her head a fraction of an inch, opened her eyes just enough so she could look at the red liquid on her fingers.

 _That's odd,_ Talyn thought. Why was she bleeding?

 _Ignore it._

Talyn laid her head back down on the snow, and closed her eyes.

But then, in her mind, she saw a face. A bald elf with eyes that glimmered like a stormy sea, his face twisted in grief and worry as he stared at her.

 _Solas._

The world came crashing down on her. She was freezing to death.

Talyn forced her cold, shaking limbs to move.

 _Solas._

His voice rang in her head.

 _"I will never leave your side."_

She couldn't leave him. Or Cassandra, or Varric, or Iron Bull, who was already grieving at the loss of Dalish and Skinner. She couldn't leave the people that depended on her, the people that needed her to save them from the Elder One.

She stumbled to her feet. Talyn felt like she was floating, delirious from hypothermia and the nasty head wound she had acquired in her battle. But she pushed herself to move, to walk. She had no idea where she was, but she walked anyways to get her blood moving, to warm up her frozen body and stave off the cold touch of death.

The more she moved, the more she realized how hurt she truly was. The nerves in her leg screamed in pain from what felt like a broken bone. She could feel burns on her neck and face as well.

She tripped, several times. But she forced herself back on her feet, hopping on one leg until she could properly balance herself and limp down the tunnel. .

 _I will never leave your side._

She couldn't leave them. She wouldn't leave them.

She walked for hours. The tunnel was silent, except for the constant pouring of snow and Talyn's uneven footsteps. Talyn just walked straight, hoping that she would escape the tunnels before any creatures decided to make a meal of her. She could see the silver light of the moon at the end of the tunnel and moved faster.

The moon bathed her in its light as she exited the tunnel. She looked around, but the avalanche had wiped out any landmarks that would have told her where she was. She couldn't see the dragon's fire, but the sky had clouds of ash billowing from some point on the other side of the mountain. From the sky fell a mixture of snow and ash, melting in Talyn's hair, sticking to her body until her skin was dark with soot.

She had no idea where she was. But she kept moving, if only to keep herself from making this foreign ice plain her graveyard.

Soon enough, the weak sun rose over the horizon, guiding Talyn.

 _GIVE INTO ME._ Death shouted at her. _LET THE MOUNTAIN DEVOUR YOUR BONES._

 _Never._ Talyn told Death.

She kept limping along.

She stumbled again and tripped. But this time, her arms had no more strength to push her up.

No, she had to do it. She tried, but her arms just shook and collapsed underneath her.

She couldn't die.

Her vision started to blur, darken.

She rolled over onto her back. She could hear Death's triumphant laugh, feel his bony, ashen fingers wrap around her throat.

 _You're mine._ He seemed to whisper in her ear, as his grip tightened. For one small moment, Talyn could actually see a skull looking down at her, fire burning in it's empty eye sockets, and a wicked grin on its face.

"She's over here!" Someone shouted.

"Oh, thank the Maker!"

Through her blurring and darkening vision, she saw someone standing over her, breaking the vision of the skeleton.

"Talyn." A familiar, soothing voice said. She was lifted, something like bone jabbed her side.

She smelled the forest.

"Solas." Talyn breathed.

"You're safe, Talyn. You're safe." Was all he could say, holding her so tight to him that whatever was underneath his tunic was starting to stab her side.

The last thing she saw was Cassandra's relieved face, before she passed out once again.

She woke up and screamed when Mother Giselle set her leg in a splint. The pain made her black out again almost immediately.

When she woke again, Solas was standing over her, running a cool cloth over her burning forehead.

"Her fever is out of control…" She heard someone say softly, before she let the dream world take her again.

Solas gently woke her again. "Drink, Talyn."

Something hot touched her lips. She turned her head. She just wanted to sleep.

He brushed her hair from her forehead and pressed the cup to her lips again. " _ma' lath, ma' alas'en... sathan mavash._ "

All Talyn could process was the last part of what Solas said. _Please drink._

Talyn tilted her head, and drank as much of the tea as she could. Then she let her head fall back on the cot and closed her eyes.

She felt his lips brush her forehead.

 _She was standing in a meadow, the warm sunlight reflecting off the vibrant wildflowers and making the meadow glow. The air smelled of honeysuckle, the soft breeze carried an ancient song that Talyn recognized yet couldn't ever recall a time she heard it. A halla mother and her fawns were off to the side of the meadow, grazing under the branches of a tall leafy tree, their twisting horns shining like diamonds._

 _Directly across from Talyn, on the other side of the meadow was a woman. She was the most beautiful elf Talyn had ever seen. She was tall, slender, with lean muscles from years of hunting. A beautiful golden bow was in one of her hands, a golden quiver on her back. Her hair was tied back, but it burned like pale fire, a crimson crown. Her eyes were as green as emeralds, and they too burned into Talyn, making their mark on her soul._

 _She smiled at her and beckoned for Talyn to come closer. Hypnotized, Talyn did as she was told, gliding across the flowers on silent feet._

 _Talyn stared at the elvhen woman, her heart beating her ribcage in an uneven rhythm. The woman smiled and tucked some of Talyn's hair behind her ear._

 _Talyn knew this woman. She couldn't remember who she was, but she felt as familiar to Talyn as her own pulse. Talyn grabbed the hand that had touched her hair and kissed the back of it._

 _The woman was still smiling. She grabbed the front of Talyn's shirt and pulled her to her, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead._

 _Talyn felt warm, and safe, in this woman's arms. She wrapped her arms around the huntress and held her tightly. She buried her face in the woman's shoulder, breathing in that comforting scent of honeysuckle. The woman set her bow down and did the same, one hand on the small of Talyn's back and the other one running over her hair. She felt the woman press her cheek on the top of her head._

 _"I missed you." Talyn cried, although she didn't know why._

 _Something cold, and sharp, scratched its way down Talyn's spine._

 _"Look at what you did." Her hauntingly beautiful, menacing voice whispered in Talyn's ear._

 _Suddenly Talyn didn't feel safe. Every hair on her body stood up straight, and all the warmth was sapped from her body. She no longer longed for the huntress, no longer wanted to be in her arms. Talyn lifted her head from the huntress' shoulder and looked into what used to be beautiful emerald eyes. Now they were just black pools of darkness, what was once so strong and safe now turned to madness._

 _Horror filled Talyn's core. Dread forced her to fight against the woman's hold on her, but she couldn't leave the circle of her arms._

 _She was laughing maniacally, her teeth and lips now stained with blood._

 _"Look, da'len, look at what you made me do."_

 _Talyn tore her eyes away from that demonic face, and tears filled her eyes. The beautiful meadow, the one that glowed, where the halla were, was now barren wasteland. All around her the ground was black, burned. The trees were blackened spikes, reaching towards the sky like knives. The halla Talyn had seen were nothing but burned corpses, maggots crawling through their eye sockets and noses, spilling out of their mouths._

 _She turned her horrified eyes to the woman, who was still laughing._

 _That cold, sharp object was driven straight into her back. Talyn cried out as she twisted the dagger into her spine._

 _"You did this." The woman shouted in her ear as Talyn started to cough up blood._

The fourth time Talyn woke, she felt much better, physically. Talyn was dripping in a cold sweat, her heart racing. She could still feel the ghost of that woman's arms, see her black eyes.

 _You did this._ This was the second time she had a dream where she was blamed for something. She ran a hand through her hair and took a deep, calming breath.

To distract herself, she looked around at her surroundings. She was lying on a cot, in what looked like a shoddily made shelter. She lifted her head and looked down at her numb leg. It was wrapped tightly in a splint. She touched her head and felt a bandage. Her abdomen was sore as well, each time she took a breath a small, sharp pain stabbed her in the side.

"Solas! She's awake!" Cassandra exclaimed.

Talyn turned her head to see Cassandra and Solas sitting by her side.

They both looked like a mess. Their faces were pale, and the dark circles under their eyes showed how much sleep they had gotten. It was like they hadn't slept in days.

But Solas looked at her like he did the first time they met, like a blind man seeing the sun. He reached over and felt her cheek with the back of his hand.

 _"Lethallan."_ He breathed. "How are you feeling?"

"Water." Talyn croaked, when she realized how dry her mouth was.

Cassandra jumped to her feet. "I'll get her some."

Talyn sat up, and immediately regretted it. She felt dizzy, and fuzzy. Like she had slept for weeks.

"Be careful, Talyn. You were very ill." Solas warned her.

Talyn squeezed her eyes shut as her empty stomach settled.

"Where are we?" She asked, her voice hoarse.

"In the Frostback Mountains. We've made a camp here."

"Did everyone make it?"

Solas' face was solemn, his silver eyes dark. "We lost some on the trek here. Their aging hearts couldn't handle what was required of them."

Talyn's heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach. "Chancellor Roderick…"

"Was stabbed by a Red Templar. He had the Red Sickness. Either way, he was going to die."

Talyn ran a hand through her hair, wincing as her fingers grazed the bandage.

Cassandra returned, with Varric in tow. Talyn reached for the steaming cup of water Cassandra held out for her, and held it in her hands, letting it warm up her stiff bones.

"Firefly, you're alive!" Varric was grinning. He took Cassandra's vacant seat, his legs hanging off the edge. His crossbow, Bianca, sat in his lap. "I was worried for a second you weren't gonna make it."

Talyn grinned back at him weakly. "I'd really like to stop going unconscious, at least for a little while."

"We'd all like that too, kiddo." Varric agreed.

"So," the dwarf continued, "any idea where we should go now Firefly?"

"Varric!" Cassandra hissed. "She just woke up, she is in no condition-"

"What do you mean?" Talyn asked, interrupting Cassandra.

"Well, we're in the mountains and it's snowing, so there's plenty of water for us, but food on the other hand…" Varric looked to an irritated Cassandra for an explanation.

Cassandra sighed. "Food is scarce. If we don't find a new home for these people, we will starve."

Talyn set her cup down on the ground and swung her legs off the side of the bed, ignoring the shooting pain in her side. Solas immediately stood up and placed a hand on her chest, gently pushing her back down on the cot. Talyn tried to ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at his touch.

"You need to rest, Talyn." He insisted.

"But I need to help!" Talyn sat up again.

"You saved us, Herald." Cassandra said. "And in the process, you broke your leg, three ribs, acquired a high fever and a concussion. You've done enough. All you must do now is rest, let us take care of everything else."

"Are there any mage healers that can speed this up?" She gestured to her broken body.

"We tried that." Cullen suddenly appeared in the entryway. Out of all the people that were now crowding the small space, only Varric looked like he got a full night's sleep. Cullen however, looked more terrible than Cassandra and Solas. His youthful face looked like it had aged ten years.

Talyn smiled. "Glad to see you're alive, Cullen."

He smiled back at her sleepily. "I'm happy to see you've made it too, Herald."

"Your fever made it impossible for any mage to heal you without burning out." Cassandra explained. "There was just too much damage."

"I've already sent for one of the healers." Cullen crossed his arms and leaned against the post that held the tent up. "Now that you're fever is gone, maybe they can fix your broken bones."

"But for now, you need to rest." Cassandra glared at the men in the tent, a signal that it was time for them to leave.

Varric hopped out of the seat, and rested Bianca on his shoulder. "See you, Firefly."

"We'll talk more about our situation when you're healed." Cullen reassured Talyn, after seeing the distraught look on her face. "The healer should be here soon."

Cassandra glared at Solas, who had made no move to get out of his seat. Solas raised an eyebrow and stared back at Cassandra. Talyn, in all of her time with the Inquisition, had never met another elf, human or dwarf that could be as calm as a gentle river, yet give off the intimidating power of a storm.

Solas stared Cassandra down, daring her to tell him to leave.

Cassandra yielded, turning away and marching out of the tent with Varric and Cullen.

Solas leaned down and picked up Talyn's abandoned water cup, and handed it to her. She took it gratefully, downing the whole thing and then setting it back down.

It was an awkward silence, at least it was for Talyn. As usual, she couldn't tell what Solas was thinking. He just sat there, staring at her like a parent scolding their child. She couldn't even look him in the eye.

"You should have died. Again." He eventually broke the silence.

"I'm beginning to think at this point I might be immortal." Talyn tried to joke.

Solas just raised an eyebrow, his face growing darker.

Talyn shrunk back into herself, looking away from him. She didn't like how he could make her feel like this, like she had done something wrong.

"You have to stop doing this Talyn, sacrificing yourself."

No. No, Solas didn't get to ruin this for Talyn. She saved the people of Haven. She took on a gods damned dragon and survived. She was the one lying on a cot, in pain and confused, for the millionth time. So Talyn straightened, ignoring the pain of her broken ribs, and furrowed her brow.

"You seem to be the only complaining about being saved from a demon army and a dragon." She hissed at him, her eyes burning with the intensity of her ever-increasing rage.

He leaned forward, his eyes alight with her challenge. "You throw yourself into danger like you're invincible! Like nothing will ever touch you. It's stupid, and reckless!"

"Do you really think I don't understand what could have happened?" Talyn threw her legs over the side of the bed. "You have no idea what I would do for the people I love!" She meant to stand, to tower over him and shout at him until she was breathless, but the moment she put weight on her bad leg she fell.

Solas caught her before she could hit the ground, his arms under her shoulders. Her face burned as he set her down on the bed and sat next to her.

She refused to look at him. Her pride wouldn't allow it.

They stayed like that, with Talyn looking at the wall and Solas just sitting there.

"There is no world without you in it." He finally whispered, so quiet a normal elf wouldn't have been able to hear it. His voice was thick with emotion, with the things that he wanted to say but couldn't.

Talyn, shocked, turned her head to look at him.

But he had already left, disappearing without a trace.

The mage that healed Talyn was able to completely heal her, since she was no longer on the verge of death. So, by dinner time Talyn was walking around.

Talyn had grown accustomed to the stares and whispers, but it was different now. It felt different. Like there was a different meaning to their revering tones. Some even cried when they saw her, thanking her profusely for what she had done for them at Haven.

"Firefly, they watched you take on a dragon by yourself and win. They watched that dragon slam into the mountain and cause the avalanche that took out the Elder One's army. You single handedly saved them, again. Of course they're gonna be a little weird around you." Varric had told her when she brought it up to him.

Talyn sighed. "I don't even know what I did. I didn't even touch the dragon, it was like…"

Varric momentarily paused his maintenance on Bianca to look at her and shake his head. "One of those Qunari bombs? Yeah, it lit up the sky. And you always wonder why I call you Firefly."

Talyn looked around the camp. "Speaking of the Qunari…"

Varric's face grew solemn. "Iron Bull isn't doing too good. He lost two of his me- er, women in one battle. None of the Chargers are handling it well."

"Do you think I should talk to him, Varric?" Talyn asked.

He shook his head. "Don't worry Firefly, Dorian is looking after him. But he hasn't been in a socializing mood."

Talyn nodded. She'd keep her distance, for now. But if he wasn't himself soon, Talyn was going to have to take some very drastic measures.

The camp wasn't full of despair and hopelessness like the refugee camp in Haven. Yes, Talyn saw many sad, crying faces amongst the terribly made shelters, and so many cases of frostbite Talyn didn't know if they had any able-bodied men left. But as she passed, they smiled and cheered. They walked up to her and hugged her. Some just reached out and touched her arms and shoulders, like she was a holy object.

She did see Iron Bull, but she didn't approach him. He was sitting at a camp fire with Dorian, who was sitting close enough that their thighs were touching. Bull didn't look good, like Varric said. His face was pale, his one eye that had always been full of light was unfocused, as he stared into the fire like all the life had been sucked from him.

Talyn wanted so desperately to talk to her friend. But she heeded Varric's advice and went to speak with the council.

Talking with the council wasn't very fun. After she spoke of the devastating news of what they were now up against, this Corypheus, all Josephine, Leiliana, Cullen and Cassandra did was argue. They all had different viewpoints, different ideas about what they should do to keep their people from starving to death. Talyn couldn't get a word in edgewise, so she had been leaning on a post all night, her arms crossed over her chest and a look of irritation all over her face.

Mother Giselle was suddenly at her side, a small smile on her face and a twinkle in her brown eyes.

"I am pleased to see you are alive and well, Herald."

Talyn smiled at Mother Giselle. She hated the Chantry, but she had grown to love the wise, and ever so patient Mother Giselle.

"I'm very happy you're alive as well, Mother Giselle."

She gestured to the arguing. "Has this been going on all night?"

Talyn looked over at her fellow council members. "They've been at it for hours."

She bowed her head. "They have that luxury, thanks to you. The enemy could not follow, and with time to doubt, we turn to blame."

She looked back up at them. "Infighting may threaten us as much as Corypheus."

Talyn sighed. "The only thing this gets us is a headache. Another headache."

"They know." Mother Giselle replied. "But our situation - your situation - is complicated. Our leaders struggle because of what we survivors witnessed. We saw our defender stand… and fall. And now we have seen her return. The more the enemy is beyond us, the more miraculous your actions appear. And the more our trials seem ordained."

Talyn frowned. "But I escaped the avalanche. Barely, that is, but I didn't _die._ "

She smiled and nodded. "Of course, and the dead cannot return from across the Veil. But the people know what they saw. Or, perhaps what they needed to see. The Maker works both in the moment, and in how it is remembered. Can we truly know the heavens are not with us?"

"You saw Corypheus. What do you think of his claims that he is a god? Of him assaulting the heavens, taking over the world?"

"Scriptures say that magisters, Tevinter servants of the False Old Gods, entered the Fade to reach the Golden City, seat of the Maker."

Talyn had to remind herself to be patient, and polite. She didn't like hearing about the Chantry's "Maker".

"For their crime, they were cast out as a darkspawn. Their hubris is why we suffer the Blight, why the Maker turned his back on us. If such is the claim of this Corypheus, he is a monster beyond imagining. All mankind still suffers from that sin."

Talyn frowned. "Wait… are you saying Corypheus might be one of the magisters that invaded your Maker's Golden City?"

"He claims to be a god, does he not? An "Elder One"." Mother Giselle said. She looked at Talyn with such faith. "If even a shred of it is true, all the more reason for Andraste to choose someone to rise against him."

Talyn just shook her head. "Corypheus is a real, physical threat." And somehow she was connected to him. She had stolen his mark. "We need more than hope right now."

She pushed off the post and walked away.

Then a lovely voice rang out for all to hear, her voice as calming as if she was singing a lullaby.

" _Shadows fall_

 _And hope has fled."_

Silence fell over the camp. The people of Haven began to crowd around, watching her. Even the council stopped their arguing to listen.

Mother Giselle, with her hands folded in front of her, moved to stand next to Talyn.

 _"Steel your heart_

 _The dawn will come."_

Mother Giselle looked up at her..

" _The night is long_

 _And the path is dark._

 _Look to the sky,_

 _For one day soon, the dawn will come."_

Talyn heard Leiliana's voice join Mother Giselle's, and she felt the Spymaster stand on the other side of her.

 _"The shepherd's lost,_

 _And his home is far._

 _Keep to the stars,_

 _The dawn will come."_

Then she heard Cullen, Cassandra, and Varric, and so many countless others join, their voices ringing through the cold, harsh mountain.

 _"The night is long,_

 _And the path is dark._

 _Look to the sky,_

 _For one day soon_

 _The dawn will come."_

Then, the people of Haven, the people that Talyn had grown to love like her own family, all moved around her, and knelt before her, tears in their eyes and looks of hope so powerful that Talyn herself could feel their faith. Talyn felt her ears grow warm.

 _"Bare your blade,_

 _And raise it high._

 _Stand your ground,_

 _The dawn will come._

 _The night is long,_

 _And the path is dark._

 _Look to the sky,_

 _For one day soon,_

 _The dawn will come."_

Josephine, Cassandra, and Leiliana were beaming at her. Cullen looked like he was on the verge of tears himself. There was only one face in the crowd that Talyn didn't see.

Everyone stood, and Talyn felt herself smiling. She started to feel that maybe they weren't doomed after all.

Mother Giselle gave her an "I told you so" look and walked away.

"We will figure this out Talyn. And I am glad that you are here to help us." Leiliana said, before joining the others. The council went back to arguing, and everyone else dispersed. Some went up to Talyn first to thank her again, for the millionth time.

"I need to speak with you." Solas quietly to her. He came from nowhere, not even her advanced hearing could detect that he had been behind her.

She could feel her face warm. But she nodded, and followed Solas a little ways outside the camp, where their conversation would be private.

Solas acted like they hadn't argued earlier that day, and that he hadn't ended it with a statement that confused Talyn to no end. He went up to the edge of a cliff that hung above a snowy valley, and waved his hands, setting a lantern alight with the ice blue Fade Light. Talyn's markings reacted to it, making them shimmer like water. Talyn stood next to him.

"A wise woman," Solas said, referring to Mother Giselle no doubt, "worth heeding. Her kind understand the moments that unify a cause. Or fracture it."

Talyn raised an eyebrow. "'Her kind'?" She asked simply, her tone angered.

Solas just chuckled and shook his head. "The Chantry is good at manipulating it's people, Talyn. We're lucky Mother Giselle is on our side."

He changed the subject. "I saw Corypheus carrying an orb. It's the one he used against you, the reason why we lost the battle at Haven. It is ours." Then he said, very quickly after that, "Elven."

"What?" Talyn breathed.

"Corypheus used it to open the Breach. Unlocking it must have caused the explosion that destroyed the Conclave."

This was bad. How did Corypheus come across such an artifact? And how did Talyn play into all of this? And the humans… when they found out the thing that had caused such mayhem, such destruction and death was elven…

"I do not know yet how Corypheus survived, or you… nor do I know how people will react if they know of the orb's origins."

"Terribly, I suppose." Talyn said. "Alright. What is it and how do you know about it?"

Solas smiled. "They were Foci, used to channel ancient magics. I have only ever seen them in the Fade, older memories of older magic." His face darkened, and so did his voice. "He may think it Tevinter. His Empire's magic was built on the bones of our people. Whether he knows it or not, he risks our alliance. I cannot allow it."

"And neither can I." Talyn agreed.

Solas nodded, his approval shining in his eyes. "By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it. Changed _you._ Scout to the North, be their guide. There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build, grow."

Talyn's heart was racing, excitement spreading in her veins. "What place?"

Solas looked back out at the valley below them. "Skyhold."

Talyn took off, not even saying goodbye to her closest friend. She raced back to the camp, kicking up snow in her wake. She nearly ran into several people as she frantically ran to the campfire that the council was sitting around, shouting about things so trivial in Talyn's mind now that she couldn't remember.

They all grew quiet at Talyn's arrival, and she said in between breaths, "we leave at dawn."

"Where?" Cassandra asked.

For some reason, Talyn knew that she wasn't supposed to say who told her where to go. She was supposed to lead them on her own.

"Just trust me."


	19. Chapter 19

_Scout to the north. Be their guide._

Talyn did just that. With the help of her companions, Talyn had their people ready to leave for their new home at first light. Every man, woman, and child followed Talyn unquestioningly. Cold, hungry, and afraid, they all trusted Talyn to lead them to a safe place. A haven. As she led them north, what was left of the Inquisition marched on either side of the civilians, their wide hungry eyes alert for whatever danger could be lurking the in the frozen mountain peaks. Talyn told Leiliana to put her scouts to work, sending them in all directions to look for signs of Corypheus and whatever was left of his army. Talyn wouldn't let them be ambushed again.

She also sent the hunters with the scouts. If they came across any animal, no matter how big or small, they were to kill it, to feed her starving people.

Her people. It was strange for Talyn to say it, to even think it. But that is what they were. They were her people. Her family. The only memories Talyn had were of the people she had fought alongside the past few months. Even Cassandra, who originally wanted Talyn executed, was someone that Talyn would die for.

And she knew they would die for her in a heartbeat.

Talyn stayed far ahead of the group, looking for signs of the fortress Solas told her about. But if she saw the lone mountain cat or goat, she shot it down so others could be fed. Solas was never far behind her. She couldn't see him most of the time, but she felt his presence.

After a few days of trudging through knee deep snow, the harsh mountain let up on them. The sun was a little stronger, there was a little less snow. Talyn and her hunters found more and more prey, and the people grew stronger.

One night, Talyn was sitting alone at the council's campfire. Most people were sleeping, huddling together for warmth. But Talyn couldn't sleep. All she could think about was that beautiful red haired elf woman, the one that felt so familiar to her. The strong, powerful huntress that made Talyn feel so safe, for a short while.

 _Look what you made me do._

Who the hell was Talyn? What was her subconscious trying to tell her, what sort of evil monster was she?

"Well, look who it is. The elf who came back from the dead." Dorian sat down next to her.

"Hello Dorian."

"So. It looks like we'll be battling my master's "Elder One", hm?"

It seemed that way. "What do you know of this Corypheus?" She asked him.

Dorian shrugged. "Not much. He wants to restore Tevinter to it's former glory. He believes he's a true god, and he wants into the Black City. That's all I know. But…"

"But?"

"Judging from his appearance, I wouldn't be surprised that he wasn't one of the first darkspawn."

"An ancient Tevinter magister."

"Correct." Dorian seemed pleased that Talyn had caught on.

So, what Corypheus had been saying to her at the Battle of Haven could be true. He was a myth turned into flesh.

Talyn ran a hand through her hair. "How are we going to fight someone immortal?"

"Everything has a weakness. I thought Alexius was nearly undefeatable, until I saw your hands wrapped around his throat." Dorian reassured her.

"Right. Because that's so reassuring. Corypheus has a dragon and a demon army. Alexius is just a man."

"The avalanche wiped out most of his army." Dorian grinned. "What's ironic is that the avalanche was caused by his own dragon."

Dorian patted her shoulder. "Cheer up now, Herald. All is not lost."

She sighed. "How is Bull doing?"

Dorian's face grew solemn. He turned his eyes to the ground. "Bull was close to Skinner and Dalish. I suggest you give him space, Herald. When he's ready to talk, he'll find you."

And all Talyn wanted to do was comfort her friend.

"Alright, Dorian. Thank you for taking care of him."

Dorian smiled. "Of course."

Dorian left Talyn back to her thoughts.

Talyn was deep in the snow-covered trees. The sun that poked through the thick canopy of evergreens made the icicles hanging precariously off the branches sparkle, the snow glittered. The forest was quiet, peaceful. Most of the camp was still sleeping, miles away from where Talyn was.

She was running, her feet light on the snow-covered ground. She had left her sword in the camp, but she held her bow in her right hand, her eyes trained on her target that was a few hundred feet ahead of her.

The buck was huge, it's twisted white antlers long and thick with age. He was stripping the bark off of the trees with his antlers, trying to make a meager meal out of the harsh mountain environment. Talyn slowed, and dropped into a crouch, hidden from the buck's view. Slowly, she pulled an arrow from her quiver and knocked it into her bow.

The buck suffered a quick, painless death, the arrow going directly through it's eye.

Talyn worked quickly. She yanked the arrow out of his eye and hoisted it over her shoulder. He was heavy, but Talyn didn't want to ruin it's coat by dragging him. The halla's coat could be turned into clothing that one of the refugees could use.

But something in the distance caught her eye, just as she was about to turn around. She set the buck down and walked further into the forest.

Just a few feet from where the halla was standing, the forest abruptly stopped. Talyn wouldn't have been able to see it, had she not seen a glint in the distance. Like glass reflecting light. She stood at the edge of the cliff, looking out at the huge structure so close she felt like she could touch it.

It was a castle so tall it touched the sky. It was like it's own mountain, nothing but a bridge connecting it to the rest of the world. She could see the massive gate that led inside was broken down, a tower was collapsed.

 _Look to the north._

Excitement made her pulse beat faster.

She ran past the completely forgotten buck. She ran faster than she ever had, the trees nothing but a blur.

"I FOUND IT!" She shouted through the half asleep camp. People with bleary eyes sat up from their mats around the fires, watching Talyn run through the camp like a mad woman.

"Andraste's tits Talyn, what are you talking about?" Varric asked her as she passed by.

She looked back at him as she ran. "Hurry, pack your things!"

People started to scramble for their things, rolling their mats and preparing what few horses they had left. No one knew what Talyn was talking about, but they did what they were told anyways.

"What are you doing, Talyn?" A very disgruntled Cassandra asked, her short dark hair sticking straight up.

"Our home. I found it." Talyn told her.

She was immediately awake, smoothing down her hair and barking out orders.

Talyn went back ahead to look for the path that would lead them to their new home. She found a sloping pathway not far from her original spot on the cliff that would lead them down to the road. She cleared the path of debris from the forest, before returning to the camp to gather the others.

The afternoon sun was high in the sky when Talyn stood in front of the collapsed gate, watching the Inquisition soldiers clear a path. Talyn was overwhelmed with excitement, and pride. For weeks these people had been surviving the dangerous mountain, often succumbing to frostbite that not even the mages could heal, or slowly starving to death. But now, they had a chance to rebuild their lives. They had a chance to be happy, and safe, something that Talyn had taken away from them by merely being in Haven.

Had she not have been there, Corypheus wouldn't have burned the town, and the mountainside down. People wouldn't be dead because of her. Dalish and Skinner… they would still be alive if it wasn't for Talyn.

At least she had started to make up for what she had done.

Solas appeared by her side. She didn't hear him coming. With Talyn's superior hearing, she always knew when someone was approaching her, except for Solas. It was like he glided over the ground like a wraith. His calm demeanor was slightly marred by something in his silver eyes, but as usual, Talyn couldn't tell what it was.

"What is this place?" Talyn asked him, if only distract him from that look in his eyes.

Solas always seemed pleased whenever Talyn asked him a question. "In the common tongue, it is called Skyhold. But it's original name is _Tarasyl'an Te'las."_

That name triggered something inside Talyn. It felt familiar, as if she had heard it before.

Solas was watching her closely.

"The Place Where The Sky Was Held Back." Talyn said quietly.

He smiled, his eyes still trained on her. "Yes. I'm pleasantly surprised by your knowledge of the elvhen language. Through time, the elves have forgotten much of it."

Talyn responded without thinking. " _Elvhenor ta' ma' lanalin av_."

She frowned. She said Elvish is my mother tongue. But how would she know that about herself? She couldn't remember anything from her past. Why would she say something like that?

Unless…

" _Ar eolasa."_ Solas responded.

I know.

How could _he_ have known?

"Herald! We're in!" A soldier shouted to her.

Talyn took a deep breath to regain her composure. She looked at Solas with an excited smile and walked with him through the gate.

The people scrambled through the gate, falling to their knees and kissing the frosty ground. Talyn could already hear Cassandra giving out orders. Cut wood to repair the gate, gather wood for the blacksmith's fires. Cullen was already planning on how to defend Skyhold.

Talyn wanted to join them, to help. But something called to her, some unknown entity that had her walking through the castle grounds and up some stone steps. She already knew what part of the castle lay behind those doors.

A worn, moth eaten red rug led from the doors to a silver throne, it's arms and legs carved into wolf paws. The back of the chair was made into the face of a wolf, it's eternal snarl a threat to all that entered this room. There was rubble everywhere, and light poured in from a hole in the ceiling. There were no paintings to indicate who resided within these walls.

Talyn ran her hand over the stone wall as she walked. There were no paintings, but Talyn could almost picture what this room used to look like in it's glory days. The vision was blurry, as if she was looking through aged glass. But she could see the large chandeliers that used to hang from the ceiling. She could see the red rug, brand new with silver lining it.

She suddenly closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. Her head was pounding now.

She already knew to turn left when she approached the throne. The door was stuck, so she had to use her whole-body weight to get it to open. She went up the stairs slowly, taking her time. When she arrived in the master chambers, she could almost hear the crackling of the fire, but the stone fireplace hadn't held a flame in centuries. This room looked in better shape than the throne room. As if time hadn't touched it.

The bed was only made on one side, although the thick layer of dust showed that no one had slept in it for a while. The side of the bed that was neat had black imprints of what had once probably been flowers, but time had turned them to dust. Like everything else in this castle.

Why did she feel like she walked through this castle before? No one had been here in centuries, that much was obvious. And yet, she felt like once she had called this place home.

She couldn't be in this room anymore. Her headache was gradually getting worse. She fled the room, returning to the throne room.

She found Solas sitting in the silver throne, running his hands over the paws on the arms of it. He looked distant, as if he was remembering something from long ago. Upon her entering, Solas stood up.

"Follow me." He told her, without looking at her.

Talyn followed him curiously as he walked through another door that was invisible to the rest of the room.

This room was a nightmare. It looked as if a storm had swept through the room. Furniture was broken and thrown across the room. A mirror was shattered. Everything was covered in dust, just like the rest of the throne room.

But the mess of the room isn't what caught Talyn's eye. It was the large mural that took up the entire back wall. There were three long slashes in the painting, marring the faces of the people in the mural. The woman in the mural was tall, with pale hair and…

Blue lyrium markings coated her skin.

Talyn's pulse quickened.

Solas started at the end of the mural, where a black wolf and the woman faced each other The wolf was snarling, his glowing eyes full of anger. The woman was pointing an arrow at him. The background was black in this part, showing nothing but the two of them. He stared at it for a long while before he said anything.

"I have not seen one of these in a long time." He finally said, quietly.

"What is it?" Talyn asked, trying to cover her desperation with mere curiosity.

Solas looked at her, smiling at her question. "It is perhaps the only depiction of Fen'Harel as something other than a monster."

Fen'Harel. The throne was shaped in the form of a wolf.

"Was this.."

"No, this is not Fen'Harel's home. Probably someone who once worshipped him."

Talyn stood next to him, looking up at that first part of the mural.

"Tell me the story, Solas."

"Fen'Harel had many enemies. Many of them had tried to kill him, but none had succeeded. One of his greatest enemies decided to send someone else to carry out the task, the most dangerous elf in all of Elvhenan. She was a huntress of extraordinary skill. She hunted him, watched him, and waited patiently for the right moment to strike him down. Fen'Harel was caught by surprise when the huntress struck him."

He paused for a moment. Gathering his thoughts.

"She had him. She was the only one who had gotten close enough to accomplish the deed. She could have killed him, _should_ have killed him. But when the two met each other's eyes, she hesitated."

He turned to the second part of the mural, where the wolf was now a man. His face had been scratched out, but Talyn already knew who he was. But the man in the painting was watching the huntress walk away into the darkness.

"Fen'Harel used that hesitation to his advantage. He was going to kill her. But for the first time in his life, Fen'Harel couldn't bring himself to finish her. So he let her go."

The third part of the mural had the woman in the arms of another faceless elf, but she was reaching out for Fen'Harel, who lurked in the shadows behind them, watching.

"But he could not stop thinking about her. He was impressed with her, awed by her. So he hunted her down, only to find that she was promised to his arch nemesis. That didn't stop him from approaching her. The huntress was devoted to her lover, but she could not resist Fen'Harel anymore than he could resist her."

The fourth part of the mural was Fen'Harel and the huntress standing in a dark forest, with moonlight illuminating them. They were in each other's arms.

She already knew what this meant. "They fell in love." She said quietly.

"Yes. But the huntress could not leave her lover. Fen'Harel's nemesis had gone mad, her mind twisted and cruel. If she had any idea that the huntress loved another, yet alone Fen'Harel, the huntress and all of Elvhenan would be in danger of her wrath."

The fifth part of the mural had the third figure, which Talyn now knew was a woman, holding a knife to the huntress's throat. All the faces were scratched out, but Talyn could see the blood dripping from the huntress's arms and the front of her clothes.

"But the huntress had no choice but to flee to her _vhenan_ , after her betrothed snapped and almost killed her."

The sixth part of the mural was nothing but a land in flames, with emerald eyes staring at them from above.

Talyn remembered her dream. Of the meadow that was nothing but ash.

"The huntress' betrothed burned Elvhenan with her wrath. Innocents were tortured and murdered. With each kill her betrothed made, her betrothed blamed the huntress. Everything that she did was the huntress' fault."

' _LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO!'_

The voice in her head was so loud, so angry.

Talyn stumbled back, her hand on her forehead.

"Talyn?" Solas was immediately in front of her, his hands on her shoulders, steadying her.

She felt like she was going to vomit.

"I need to lie down." She whispered.

Solas lifted her in his arms.

The tips of her ears burned. "You don't need to carry me."

Solas ignored her.

She closed her eyes. She felt Solas walk up some steps, heard a whooshing sound and a crackling fire. She was set down in the most comfortable bed she had slept on in months.

She felt Solas sit on the bed and brush some hair from her face.

At this point, her head was pounding, the only thing she could really hear was her heart pounding in her ears. His voice was so distant, she wasn't sure that he had said anything.

"Rest, Talyn. You've always pushed yourself too hard."

Talyn fell asleep.


	20. Chapter 20

Repairs on Skyhold were going well. The gate was the first, and most important thing that was finished. With the gate reinforced, the people of Haven could feel safe. Cullen and Cassandra planned other defenses of the castle, repairing the watch towers and setting up guard duties to watch for any signs of Corypheus.

But the monster never came.

Josephine had designed the throne room, replaced the red carpet and even had an unwilling Talyn sit for hours so someone could paint her portrait. The crystal chandeliers held hundreds of candles that lit up the ceiling like the night sky, and Josephine was in the process of having the rest of the council's portraits painted so that they could hang in the throne room. She was going to replace the throne as well. She called it ghastly, but Talyn had snapped at her so fiercely about keeping the wolf throne that for a moment, Josephine was afraid of her.

Talyn didn't know why, but she needed that throne to stay there. Removing it from it's rightful place felt… wrong.

Talyn's headache had subsided, but it had lasted for a few weeks. Every time she walked through a different part of the castle, she was struck with familiarity, and the further she pushed her mind to recall _why_ she felt like she knew Skyhold, the pain in her head worsened.

She needed Solas to finish the story of Fen'Harel and the huntress. Something about that story had triggered something inside of her. Her dreams of the red haired huntress grew worse. Every night she had a nightmare of mangled bodies, all pointing fingers at her, with that woman laughing at her from the shadows.

She needed him to finish the story. But she was afraid of what the ending would bring.

Talyn was in the courtyard, sparring with Cole. The boy's skill with his daggers matched Talyn's skill with her sword, making him fantastic practice for Talyn. The clash of steel sounded throughout the courtyard, bringing a crowd of onlookers watching them.

Cole was quick. Every time Talyn got close to beating him, he would move out of the way, fast as lightning. Her tattoos started to glow with her frustration. But at the same time, the challenge was good for Talyn, after weeks of doing nothing but helping repair Skyhold and wandering the vast castle by herself.

And she did help repair Skyhold. She didn't like sitting back and watching, so she had carried wood and stones and picked up a hammer herself. It wasn't her intention, but that just only solidified the people's love for her. All she could hear when she worked was that the Herald herself was willing to help, instead of watching from afar. How amazing she had to be, in order to do something like that work alongside the common people.

Talyn didn't understand it, and it made her ears burn.

She could hear the people in the crowd making bets on who would win the match.

"The Herald beat a dragon, that boy has no chance."

"Ten gold coins to prove you wrong!"

She grinned and pushed herself harder.

She got distracted momentarily by Solas, who was also watching. She almost didn't recognize him without his staff, which he usually carried everywhere with him. Cole had almost had her right then and there, but Talyn was able to focus and block the dagger before it could land on her.

Before a winner could be declared, Cassandra was calling for her.

Everyone grumbled as Talyn stopped and sheathed her sword. With a flourish, she bowed to Cole.

"You, my friend, are hard to kill." She complimented him, her voice a little breathless from their match.

He smiled at her, with that dreamy, far off look in his blue eyes.

Cole was very odd. But she liked having him around.

Talyn was coated with sweat. Her sparring clothes were soaked with it. She wiped it off of her face with a cloth as she walked over to Cassandra, who was waiting patiently for her off to the side. Talyn automatically knew that Cassandra was hiding something. There was a shiftiness to her eyes, but also excitement.

"What do you need Cassandra?" Talyn asked.

"Come with me."

Oh, gods no. Talyn quickly looked around for the nearest exit. Did they figure out that the weapon Corypheus was using was elven? Was she walking to her death now?

No. Cassandra, at the very least, wouldn't do that to her. She had the chance in the beginning to have her executed, and she protected Talyn. She wouldn't blame her for something just because she was an elf. Talyn had to believe that, had to trust in Cassandra.

So she followed her warily, all the while arguing with herself in her mind that Cassandra wasn't there to kill her.

Cassandra gestured to the people. It wasn't just the people of Haven that occupied Skyhold now, but others, from different towns had come here as well.

"They arrive daily from every hold in the region. Skyhold is now becoming a pilgrimage. If word has reached these people, then it has surely reached the Elder One. We have the walls, and now the numbers to put up a fight here. But this threat is far beyond the war we anticipated."

"But we now know what stopped Corypheus, what drew him to you."

Talyn held up her hand, where the Mark shimmered on her palm. "He came for this. And now that it's useless to him, he wants me dead."

"The Mark has power. But it's not why you're still standing here." Cassandra led her up the stone steps to the throne room, and passed it, up the battlements to a spot where all in the courtyard could see her. The courtyard started to fill with people that had stopped whatever they were doing to watch.

Leiliana was up there as well. was smiling at her, and holding a sword with the flaming eye of the Inquisition on the hilt, it's pupil a red ruby.

Talyn looked at them in confusion.

Then Cassandra said, "The Inquisition requires an Inquisitor."

What?

"And who better to lead the Inquisition than the one who's been leading it all along?"

Talyn looked down at the people, all looking at her with pride. She looked at the council, with that same look of pride on their faces.

"It's… unanimous? You all have that much confidence in me?" She asked, shock in her voice.

Cassandra gestured to all the people down below. "Each and everyone of these people all have their lives thanks to you. They will follow."

Talyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "That wasn't the question."

"I will not lie," Cassandra stepped aside and let Leiliana come forward with the sword. "Handing this much power to anyone is troubling. But I have to believe that this was meant to be. There will be no Inquisition without you. How you serve, how you lead, is up to you."

Talyn couldn't believe this. She went from an elf with no memories on the verge of execution, to being handed the title of Inquisitor, and the power to save or annihilate all of these people. She didn't want this power. She wasn't a savior, a Herald. The Anchor was Corypheus', Andraste had nothing to do with this. Talyn was nothing.

And yet… if she didn't do this, if she didn't become the Inquisitor, then who would? Could Talyn let someone else defeat Corypheus?

No. She couldn't, _wouldn't,_ let the power of Inquisitor fall to anyone else. She couldn't trust anyone else but herself to keep these people safe. Corypheus wanted to fight her. Then he would get the greatest war that could ever be. Talyn would rain fire from the heavens before she let him hurt anymore people.

Talyn took the sword. "Corypheus wants power." She said loudly, so the people below her could hear. "He wants to be a god. But he is no god, no "Elder One". He is nothing but a coward who hides behind dragons and demons. And together, we will stop him."

Cassandra faced the crowd.

"Have our people been told?" She asked.

Josephine stepped forward from the crowd. "They have. And soon, the world."

"Commander, will they follow?"

Cullen stepped forward from the crowd, and faced his men, his sword drawn. "Inquisition, will you follow?"

The soldiers in the crowd cheered.

"Will you fight?"

The cheering got louder.

"Will we triumph?"

The entire courtyard erupted into cheers.

"Your leader, your Herald, your Inquisitor!"

Talyn couldn't help but smile from ear to ear as she held the sword out to her people. _Her_ people. Their love, their hope and trust in her was so overwhelming that she had to fight back tears. Never in her life had she thought that so much faith would ever be placed in her. Never in her life had she thought people would follow her.

And she made a silent promise to herself, to them, that she wouldn't let them down.

The other hidden room in the throne room became the war room. The overturned table was a large, ancient slab of wood that they used to hold the map of Thedas. The mural that Solas had shown Talyn in the beginning was gone. Josephine, Leiliana, Cullen, Cassandra and Talyn were standing around the table, looking down at the map.

"Corypheus is going to kill the Empress of Orlais." Cullen said. "From what you and Dorian said about your visit to the future, it seems to be his next step. With the Empress dead, Thedas would be plunged into chaos."

"We have to reach the Empress before Corypheus. But the question is, how?" Talyn asked.

Josephine smirked triumphantly. "I have just begun working on getting the Inquisition an invitation to a ball the Empress is hosting."

"The ball is nothing but a distraction from what's really going to happen that night." Leiliana started to explain. "Orlais is in the middle of a civil war, between the Empress Celine and her cousin, the Duke Gaspard. The night of the ball, they will be having peace talks. We believe that this is when Corypheus will strike. He will probably have an assassin waiting for the right moment to kill the Empress, and the people blame it on Gaspard."

"It's rather brilliant, if you think about it." Cullen added.

Talyn nodded. "When is the ball?"

"Three weeks from now. We should have our invitations by the end of the week." Josephine told her. " Which gives us plenty of time to prepare."

"We have another pressing concern." Cassandra looked directly at Talyn. "Alexius must be tried and punished, by the Inquisitor, for his crimes."

"By Inquisitor, you mean me don't you?" Talyn asked, although she already knew the answer.

"You _are_ the Inquisitor." Josephine said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was.

Talyn took a deep breath. "I want him brought to the throne room first thing in the morning."

That felt strange, giving an order like that. Would she ever get used to this?

"Of course, Inquisitor." Cassandra replied.

It was nightfall. Talyn should have been asleep, to get a full night's rest before the trial tomorrow morning. But she was kept awake with plaguing thoughts of Alexius. So she was sitting on the railing of her balcony in the Inquisitor's chambers. _Her_ chambers. Her legs were dangling over the edge, as she stared straight down into the abyss of the mountain. She sighed, her breath a frosty cloud in the moonlight.

Talyn had killed people before, so many she had lost count. But this was different. Alexius had committed terrible crimes, and a few months ago she _was_ going to kill him. But now he was just a prisoner, just a man whose fate was now in her tattooed hands. How could she condemn a man to death?

But how could she not, with what he had done? With what he was _going_ to do, had Talyn and her companions not shown up in the Redcliffe castle when they did. Alexius was trying to destroy the world. He was a key player in Corypheus' plan.

"Good evening, _Inquisitor."_

Talyn looked over to see Solas leaning against the rail, his arms crossed over his chest and a small smirk on his face.

She smiled, and her worries were slightly alleviated. Solas' presence always had a way calming her, and even if it was just a little bit of a reprieve from her thoughts, she would take it gladly.

Her feelings about Solas was another matter she was going to have to contend with eventually. Whenever he was near her, her heart quickened, her limbs became jittery. His cryptic sayings that could either be confessing his feelings or just simply stating his loyalty sent butterflies through her entire body.

"Hello Solas."

"I was at your ceremony today. It looked like your council had deceived you about their intentions."

Talyn snorted. "Yeah, I had no idea what was going on until Leiliana handed me a sword."

"Would you have gone if they had told you?"

Talyn had to think about that for a moment. "Honestly… probably not. If they hadn't put me on the spot like that, I would have declined their offer."

"And why is that?"

Talyn sighed again and looked at the ground that was far below her. "I only accepted to be the Inquisitor, because Corypheus has a bone to pick with _me._ And after what he did to Haven, it's personal now. But I can't take him on by myself, not now at least. But Solas… I'm no one. I don't even know who I actually am." She lifted her arms, the blue lyrium in her skin shimmered in the moonlight. "All I have are these, my name, and nightmares about a red haired woman. I'm not fit to have this much power, to be a leader. I can't even decide what to do with Alexius. If I can't handle having someone's life in my hands, how can I handle being a leader?"

"A red haired woman, you say?" Solas was more intrigued now, his eyes were more intense.

Talyn nodded. "Yes. Every time I dream of her, she's blaming me for something. I made her do something. And there's always… fire. And…"

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about it.

Solas didn't say anything for awhile. And then, he said, "Talyn, you've been a leader since the beginning."

She furrowed her brow. "Please, tell me how I've been a leader."

Solas turned his entire body so he was facing her, and he grabbed her hand that was resting on her thigh. Talyn hoped the moonlight couldn't show her burning face. With his other hand, he lightly touched her jaw, making her turn her head to face him. His face was sincere, gentle, and full of pride.

"You are the most extraordinary woman I've ever met. These people had wanted you dead, for a crime you didn't commit, and yet you still fought for them. You stopped a war, you swore to protect a group of people who had no right to ask for it, and you did it without expecting anything from them. You closed the Breach, not because you were forced to, but because you _wanted_ to. And when Corypheus attacked Haven, you gave yourself freely, and willingly, so that everyone within Haven's walls would be safe. You almost died more than once, for people that not so long ago wanted your head. And after all of that, you helped them survive the snow, you found them a home. You gave yourself, over and over again."

The intensity of his emotions grew. Talyn could have sworn that his eyes were glistening. "You are _selfless,_ Talyn. That is not a quality most leaders possess, yet it is one they should all have. Without you, the people of Haven, the Inquisition, the _world_ would be nothing."

Talyn stared into his eyes and saw the honesty in his face. He called her selfless, extraordinary. But Talyn didn't feel extraordinary. She just felt like Talyn.

"But Solas… even after everything I've done for these people, how can I send a defenseless man to his death? He did terrible things, but… I still can't imagine having the blood of an unarmed man on my hands."

Solas' hand was still on her cheek. His fingers trailed over her skin as he tucked some blond hair behind her pointed ear, and then it trailed down the side of her neck to her shoulder. Her pulse quickened.

"You are the second most powerful person in Thedas now, Talyn. You have more options than to free him or kill him."

Talyn pressed her cheek against the hand on her shoulder and squeezed the hand on her thigh.

"Thank you, Solas. You've brought me some clarity to the situation."

He smiled and removed his hands. "I'm glad. You should rest. You have an important decision to make tomorrow."

Her face and hands suddenly grew cold with his absence. She took a deep breath to collect herself and nodded. "You're right."

So Solas helped her get back over the railing and bid her good night. Talyn went to sleep with the smell of cedar trees on her skin.

The next morning, Talyn was sitting in the wolf throne, her sword leaning against the side. The throne room was filled with people Talyn didn't even recognize. Fereldan and Orlesian nobles, soldiers, and her council. She saw Solas in the mix of people, smiling at her with pride, leaning against his staff. Solas being there gave Talyn more confidence.

Fiona was also there, hiding in the shadows. She, of all people, deserved to be in this room.

Alexius was in rags, with shackles on his wrists and ankles. He shambled up the red carpet with his head down, his shackles clinking the only sound in the room. But Talyn saw the disgusted looks everyone in the room gave him, saw the hands of some of the soldier's in the room twitch, aching to cut him down as he did his walk of shame.

When he reached the steps to the throne, the prison guards shoved him to his knees. Josephine stepped forward.

"You recall Gereon Alexius. Fereldan has given him to us as acknowledgment of your aid. The formal charges are apostasy, attempted enslavement, and attempted assassination - on your own life, no less. Tevinter has disowned him, and stripped him of his rank. You may judge him as you see fit."

Talyn looked down at him coldly. She crossed one of her legs over her knee, and folded her hands together. Without taking her eyes off of him, she asked, "tell me, what's the precedent for ripping time apart at the seams?"

Alexius glared at her, pain and grief in his eyes. "I couldn't save my son. Do you think my fate matters to me?"

"Do you have nothing else to say in your defense?" Josephine asked him.

His angry, pain filled eyes were trained on Talyn. "You've won nothing. The people you've saved, the acclaim you've gathered - you will lose it all in the storm to come. Render your judgement, Inquisitor."

Talyn took a deep breath, and leaned forward. She had already made her decision last night, before she fell asleep.

Her voice echoed in the room. "You tried to enslave Fiona and her mages. You tried to kill me, and my friends. You tore apart time, and with your help, Corypheus would have destroyed the world."

Alexius said nothing.

"Everyone in this room wants you dead, Gereon Alexius. But there is one thing that I don't think any of them considered. You did all of these evil things, not because you truly enjoyed it. You did it to save your son."

That got a small reaction from Alexius. His eyes tightened.

"You did everything you could to save him. Even striking a deal with a demon. And I relate to that, Alexius, because there is nothing in this world that I wouldn't do to save the people I love. I can't honestly say that if I had been in your position I wouldn't have joined Corypheus."

"I am not making this decision just because of you. I am making this decision for your son, Felix, who needs his father right now just as much as his father needs him. Felix may not have much time left in this world, and he should spend what precious moments he has with you."

Alexius' eyes lit up, and murmurs started to spread through the room.

She continued, "that is why you are going to be on house arrest. You will be sent to a secluded place, under twenty four hour supervision. You will get to be with your son, and you will do anything that the Inquisition requires of you."

Everyone started protesting, shouting.

Talyn immediately stood to her feet, and the room grew silent with the cold glare she gave everyone. Then she looked back at Alexius.

"This is your second chance, Alexius. You will not get another one."

"Inquisitor, he should be hanged!" One of the nobles called out.

Talyn's head snapped in his direction. "I am the Inquisitor, and I have passed my judgement. Take him away."

"Thank you, Inquisitor." Alexius said softly as he was taken away.

The nobles walked out of the throne room, grumbling amongst themselves, question the new Inquisitor. But Talyn didn't care what anyone else thought. What she chose was the right move, she knew it in her heart.

Talyn had just walked out of the throne room, and was immediately approached by Varric, who looked like he was about to vomit.

"Varric, what's wrong?"

Talyn hadn't seen much of Varric since she arrived in Skyhold. She had been too busy helping with the repairs and being lost in her thoughts for her to see much of her friends. This morning with Cole had actually been the first time she conversed with anyone besides the council. Although her and Cole didn't do much talking.

He truly did look like he was going to be sick. His face was pale, he wouldn't meet her eyes. But he smiled and completely ignored her question.

"Congratulations, _Inquisitor._ Does this mean I can't call you Firefly anymore?" His voice was strained, like he was trying to sound excited for Talyn.

She grinned, and let it go. When Varric was ready to talk he would. "No, Varric. Just because I was handed an army and power doesn't mean anything changes. I'm still Firefly."

He clapped his hands together. "That's good to hear, Firefly. Can we go somewhere quiet?"

And that's when she started to _really_ worry for her friend. "Of course."

So she walked with a nervous Varric up the battlements, where the only people around were the guards on patrol, watching for any threats outside the walls of Skyhold. Talyn leaned against the stone and looked out at the world while she waited for Varric to say what he needed to say.

"So, do you know why I was with the Seeker in the first place, the day of the Breach?" Varric asked.

Talyn shook her head.

Varric chuckled nervously. "Well, the Seeker basically kidnapped me because I'm very close with a certain individual who helped start the mage rebellion. A well respected member of Kirkwall, who was secretly an apostate mage."

"What is his name?"

" _Her_ name is Melina Hawke. After Blondie blew up Kirkwall she ran away with her lover, Fenris. But when the Grey Wardens captured a strange darkspawn, I got a raven with a message from her asking me to meet her at the one of the Grey Warden's fortresses."

Blondie, a strange darkspawn. Where was Varric going with this?

He ran a hand over his hair and exhaled loudly. "The Grey Wardens couldn't kill the damn thing, so Hawke, Fenris, and I ran about a hundred swords and bolts into his body. I thought he was dead... until I saw him attack Haven."

" _What?!"_ Talyn exclaimed. Varric had encountered Corypheus before? "Varric, why didn't you say anything?!"

Varric looked at the ground, ashamed. "Because I promised Hawke I wouldn't tell anyone where she and Fenris were hiding. She's a wanted fugitive. The Chantry thinks that she had something to do with Blondie blowing up the Chantry in Kirkwall. But you need to talk to Hawke about Corypheus. She knows more about him than anyone in this castle."

He slammed a fist down on the stone wall. "He was dead! There was nothing left of him, we stabbed him until he looked like spider food. I swear on my life that he had no heartbeat, Firefly."

Talyn put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Varric. You couldn't possibly have known that he'd come back. But you need to get a hold of Hawke, and tell her to come here." Talyn needed to know everything that this fugitive knew about Corypheus. Especially now that she knew how hard it would be to kill him.

That seemed to have alleviated some of Varric's guilt. He nodded, a look of determination on his face. "You're right. I need to leave Skyhold for a bit, but I'll come back with her."

Talyn nodded. "Good."

"I won't let you down again, Firefly."

They parted ways. Varric went to go prepare for his journey, and Talyn went to find Solas.


	21. Chapter 21

Solas resided in the study beneath the library and the aviary. The tall, circular tower loomed over the castle grounds like a temple, and the sound of ravens singing could be heard from the ground.

Before she made it to the building, a commotion divided her attention. She heard several people shouting, and thuds. She moved toward the sound, went around a building and found two Inquisition soldiers brawling, with a thick ring of people around them cheering them on.

Talyn wasn't the only one who had found them. She saw Cullen shoving his way to the center, where the fight was happening. Talyn did the same. She cut through the ring like she was wading through water, the people giving little resistance. In fact, when she touched someone they jumped away from her like she was a spider.

She reached them before Cullen did. With her lyrium tattoos shimmering in the morning sunlight, she slipped between them and put a hand on both of their chests, shoving them apart.

Once she did that, the people scattered to the wind, going back to what their were doing, acting like nothing had happened.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked the both of them.

Their faces were bruised and bloody, their eyes full of fire. Although they kept glaring at each other, they couldn't make eye contact with their Inquisitor.

"You are both soldiers of the Inquisition! Have some respect for yourselves." Cullen snapped as he arrived.

They both looked at the ground, and mumbled an apology to their commander.

"It's not me you need to be apologizing to. You've wasted the Inquisitor's time. Time she could be spending finding Corypheus."

Talyn wasn't about to tell Cullen that she was actually wasting her own time visiting Solas.

"Sorry, Inquisitor." They both said to Talyn.

Talyn let her hands fall to her sides. "See to it that it does not happen again." She told them.

Cullen barked orders at them, some kind of unpleasant job that was going to be their punishment for their fight.

Cullen ran a hand over his face and sighed.

"Rough day?" Talyn asked, her tone light and friendly.

"You have no idea."

Talyn laughed. "I haven't had the chance to say it, but you've done a great job with our defenses. Much better than I would have done."

"Now if only I could keep my men in check." Cullen looked up at the walls that surrounded Skyhold. "At Haven, we had no time to prepare. That town could never have survived a dragon attack. But if Corypheus and that dragon come to Skyhold, we'll have a better chance."

Cullen looked back at her. "You could have died. I will not fail you again."

That was the second time someone had told her that today.

"Cullen, you never failed me." Talyn said gently. "No one knew that Corypheus would be at our doorstep."

Cullen smiled. It seemed like a sad smile. Then he changed the subject.

"You made a wise and just decision today Inquisitor."

Talyn winced, much like how she did when people called her Herald. But she let it go. She _was_ the Inquisitor after all.

"Those nobles didn't think so. The council _definitely_ didn't think so." She replied.

Cullen laughed. "Everyone craves death. Except for you. You find mercy where others cannot. That's why I agreed that you should be the Inquisitor."

Talyn snorted. "A few weeks ago I was about to rip out Alexius' throat."

It was Cullen's turn to be comforting. "Anyone that had been put in your position would have done the same. The important thing is that when you were called to decide Alexius' fate, your first thought wasn't to send him to the gallows."

The same smile that Cullen had given Talyn was on her face now. "Thanks, Cullen."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment. It seemed like Cullen's cheeks were turning red.

"Well, I should get back." He said quickly.

"Oh, of course." Talyn replied.

He walked away, and Talyn went back to what she had been doing.

The inside of Solas' study was quiet. The noise from the library and aviary above him couldn't be heard. Solas had sound proofed his space with magic, ensuring that he would have the quiet he needed.

The room was circular and spacious, with a high ceiling and bookshelves tall enough to touch it. In the center of the room was Solas' desk, which he currently was sitting at. On one of the walls there was the beginning of a painting, but it was too early to tell what the painting was.

Solas didn't look up from the ancient text he was reading, but from some other room a teapot and a cup floated in, and settled themselves on the desk in front of the chair sitting opposite from Solas.

Talyn smiled, and walked over to him. She sat in the unoccupied chair and poured herself a cup of tea, holding it with both of her hands and gently blowing on it. Almost immediately, the tea cooled down much faster than it should have.

Solas still didn't look up.

She found it fascinating, watching him read. The intensely focused look on his face, the way his eyes danced across the pages. She could watch him for hours and be content with herself.

"Is there something you need?" There was a smile in his voice.

Talyn raised an eyebrow. She could feel the tips of her ears get warm. "Am I not allowed to just enjoy your company, Solas?"

He finally looked up from his book, leaning forward, resting his arms on top of his book. "You look like you have much on your mind."

Talyn laughed at that. "When don't I?"

But there was something that had been bothering Talyn all morning, ever since the ordeal with Alexius had been dealt with.

"Josephine said that there would be dancing. At the ball." Talyn said awkwardly.

Solas raised an eyebrow, and waited for her to continue.

"I… well…" She ran a hand through her hair. "I don't know how to dance. All of those fancy high class people are going to meet the Inquisitor for the first time, and I can't dance. I'm going to make a horrible impression, and who would respect the Inquisition if-"

She stopped ranting, because Solas was trying to contain his laughter. She started to get angry.

"Well it's just lovely that you can laugh about this Solas, because I don't find it funny at all."

He stood up, still chuckling to himself. He went around the desk, and Talyn turned herself and the chair so she could still face him, slamming the chair on the hard floor violently enough for the legs to make an audible cracking sound. Then she crossed one of her legs over her knee and crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

He bent down slowly so he was eye level with her, resting his hands on the arms of her chair, his face close to hers. Talyn's heart started to race, and it wasn't from anger. She could feel her ears and cheeks get red hot. She cursed herself and her uncontrollable blushing.

Solas was smirking as he said in a low voice, "calm down, and take my hand."

Then he stood up straight, and offered her his hand.

Now Talyn was embarrassed. She sighed angrily and grabbed Solas' hand. He pulled her out her chair abruptly, making her gasp and run into him. He was still smiling when he took her other hand and placed it on his shoulder. Then his hand rested on her waist.

There was only one other time Talyn could think of where she was this close to him, that morning in the gardens of Castle Redcliffe, where they almost kissed.

"This is very simple. I'm sure even _you_ can get the hang of it." Solas teased.

She squeezed his shoulder. Hard.

He just laughed, completely unphased by her iron like grip.

Then he started to move.

Talyn stepped on his foot. "Sorry!" She blurted out.

He laughed again. "It's alright."

For the first time in her life, Talyn was clumsy. Solas' close proximity to her made her nerves dance, her hands shake. But he was patient, and laughed off all of her mistakes. But soon enough Talyn was twirling and laughing with him.

"Have you spent your whole life dreaming?" Talyn asked as they danced to silent music. It seemed like such a simple question, but Talyn had never asked it before.

"I've spent much of my time in the Fade." Was Solas' response. "But I've started to enjoy life outside of it."

"How so?" She asked.

He smiled. "You train your will to control magic and withstand possession. Your indomitable focus is an enjoyable side benefit. You have chosen a path whose steps you do not enjoy because it leads to a destination you enjoy. As have I."

Talyn smirked. "Indomitable focus?"

"Presumably. I have yet to see it dominated."

Then Solas did something Talyn didn't expect. After she twirled, Solas pulled her close, so that there was no room between them. He looked down at her, his face inches from hers, and then said in a low voice, "I imagine that the sight would be… fascinating."

Talyn was speechless. His silver eyes and that inviting smile took away her voice, as payment for the song that was singing in her heart. She just stared at him with wide eyes as her pulse beat faster, like she was in battle.

It was just like the garden. All Talyn had to do was reach up and kiss him.

The door to Solas' study slammed open, and the two of them broke apart like insects escaping the light.

It was a servant. "Oh, um… I apologize Inquisitor." He looked as awkward as Talyn felt. "Seeker Cassandra needs your help."

Of course she did.

Talyn looked at Solas. "I, uh, better go deal with this."

He nodded. It honestly made Talyn angry, how he was so calm and collected all the time, while Talyn looked like bottled up chaos that had just been released.

"Of course, _Inquisitor."_

Just like in his cabin back at Haven, Talyn gave him a rude hand gesture as she walked out the door.

She could hear him laugh as it shut.

The weeks that went by were all the same. Every day Talyn would go back to Solas, and they would dance. He would do something that made Talyn blush, and she would awkwardly leave. Josephine got an invitation for the Inquisition, by the Duke Gaspard himself. Talyn would be his guest. So at least twice a week Josephine would steal her away in order to find Talyn the perfect dress, which meant that Talyn stood for hours at a time while seamstresses took her measurements and discussed the dress with Josephine. During these sessions, Talyn imagined all of the horrible, terrible things she could do to the seamstresses.

She found Iron Bull hanging out in the tavern, laughing with his Chargers. She smiled when they made eye contact, but the look in Bull's eye made her smile fade and immediately exit the building. He looked so… angry with her.

It was then that she realized why everyone had avoided telling her about Bull, and warned her to stay away. He blamed her, for Dalish and Skinner. Just like she blamed herself. Not just for her dear friends, but for all of those that had died because Corypheus wanted _her._ Bull was under contract with the Inquisition, but she was sure that if he could he would have left Skyhold long ago.

And that hurt her, so much so that when the nightmares of the redheaded woman appeared in her dreams, Bull was standing alongside her, his eye crimson and burning with rage and his sleek, silver greatsword coated in her blood.

She mourned for her friend as if he had died. He might as well have, because she knew that there was no coming back to where they had once been. Bull and Talyn were so much alike that they finished each other's sentences. Now Talyn was lucky if Bull would even look at her.

She was sitting in Josephine's corner of the castle, where the ambassador was pacing, and fiddling with the expensive rings on her fingers. .

"Josephine, if you keep frowning you might suffer from permanent damage." Talyn teased.

"This is not funny." Josephine snapped, her amber eyes narrowed.. "The Orlesian nobles are going to pick you apart, study every aspect of your behavior and use it against you. You'll be part of the Game."

"The Game?"

The more Josephine talked, the more her accent came out. "That's what they call it. Those who play the Game are polite, even likable on the outside. But every word they say, every gesture they make has a hidden meaning to it. If you are going to survive this mission, and gain the respect the Inquisition needs, you must play the Game."

Talyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I think I'll be just fine, Josephine."

Josephine finally sat down at her desk."I hope so Inquisitor, because if you fail, the world is going to end."

Talyn left Josephine's study. Talyn wasn't worried about this "Game", she was more concerned with her dancing abilities. But with Solas' help, hopefully Talyn wouldn't make a fool of herself in front of hundreds of people who were already on the fence about Talyn and her Inquisition.

It was going to be a long journey to Orlais.

"... No. Absolutely not." Talyn firmly told Josephine.

"You're the Inquisitor, you must ride in the carriage."

Talyn was looking at the tall golden carriage drawn by six horses with sleek, black coats. The Inquisition's insignia was carved into the door of the carriage, the eye with the flaming sword. Josephine ordered it be made for their journey to Orlais.

"If _you'd_ like to ride in that box you can be my guest Josephine. I'm getting my horse."

"Will you at least ride in it when we approach the castle?" Josephine pleaded.

Talyn sighed. "Fine. But until then I'm riding my horse."

Just the thought of sitting in that box for hours made Talyn's skin crawl. She would much rather be on horseback, so she could look at the sky and all of the beautiful scenery she otherwise would have missed.

But Josephine, Cassandra, Leiliana and Cole made use of the carriage. Solas didn't care for the carriage either, but Talyn had a suspicion that he too chose to ride a horse just to be near Talyn. It was a hopeful suspicion. With the carriage, they were slower than Talyn would have liked.

It was fall in the Hinterlands, the trees were turning into deep crimson and bright gold leaves. It amazed Talyn how much the world changed once she left her mountain plunged into eternal winter. She saw badgers and squirrels foraging for food to save from the snow, brown bears eating berries and preparing for their long slumber. Even the birds flew by the thousands to the South, where it would be warmer for them. Sometimes there would be so many birds in the sky they blocked the sun for a few moments.

It was beautiful to her, absolutely fascinating. The others didn't understand, especially the soldiers that traveled with them. To them it was just autumn. But to Talyn it was so much more. The only ones who seemed to know what Talyn meant was Solas and Cole. When they made camp she would sit by the fire with Cole, talking to him about the things they had both seen that day. It was hard to decipher Cole's cryptic words sometimes though. With that dreamy tone of voice he would tell her of all the people they had passed, and how they had felt. One man was worried, traveling at neck breaking speeds down the path to hurry back to his pregnant wife. Another was a young boy with dreams of becoming a Templar. And then there were more than a few who felt nervous and scared as their carriage rolled by, with the Inquisitor riding alongside it.

It was a good distraction for Talyn, a way to keep the worries of her role at bay.

One night Talyn was alone at the camp fire, staring down at her arms, and the tattoos that reflected the firelight like water. The spirals went down to the very tips of her fingers, wrapping around her bones like snakes. She reached up and touched her face, where those same spirals ran up her neck and adorned her features.

She wished that others weren't so terrified of her. Even those who resided in Skyhold gave Talyn a wide berth, out of respect and fear. Even those that loved her and called her their savior were nervous around her. These markings that were seared onto her body made her look like a wild animal. And maybe deep down that was exactly what Talyn was. She was a skilled murderer. Man and monster both had fallen underneath her arrows and her sword. She was stronger, faster than any human elf or dwarf that Talyn had ever met. She could hear so much better, _see_ much more than they could. And when she felt uncontrollable rage her hands erupted into flames. She wasn't normal.

Maybe that was her whole purpose, what the gods had created her to do. Maybe they had molded the perfect blend of mortal and monster to create a dark creature such as herself. No matter how hard she tried to be good, there was always that side of herself lingering in the shadows of her mind. Solas had reassured her that she wasn't as dark as she thought she was, but still, she couldn't get those thoughts out of her mind.

"You're scared." Cole appeared by her side, as if from thin air.

" _Pala!"_ Talyn cursed in Elvish. She let go of the hilt of her dagger on her thigh. "Cole, don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry." Cole said in response. "You're afraid of who you are."

Cole lacked social skills. And his strange telepathy magic was getting annoying.

But Talyn sighed, and stared into the fire. "All I want to do is save this world, and the people I love."

"You're not a murderer Talyn."

Talyn looked back up at Cole, into his sky blue eyes that seemed so distant but present at all times. "What do you mean, Cole?"

"You are a goddess of fire and wind. You embraced Death and survived."

Talyn smiled. "Thank you Cole. But I don't think that helps me."

Talyn gasped when all of a sudden, _Cole disappeared._ She stood to her feet, and held out her hands, trying to feel if Cole had somehow turned himself invisible.

"He's a spirit." Another voice from behind her explained the phenomenon.

Talyn whirled around and saw Solas. "He's a _what?"_

Solas chuckled at Talyn's shock. "An anomaly, probably created by the Breach. I do believe he's a spirit of Mercy. It is the most logical guess, at least. He's bound to this world for some reason, making him a solid being."

"That's… well, I would say that's not possible, but given my own circumstances I can't say much." Talyn sat back down.

"I'm glad he's still around. I was afraid he would leave. It's refreshing, having a spirit to speak to." Solas sat down next to her.

Talyn often forgot that Solas had spent most of his life in the Fade. Most of the friendships he had built were with the spirits that resided in the other world. Talyn guessed that it was the biggest reason why Solas didn't really seem to speak to anyone as often as he spoke with Talyn.

"I just can't believe I couldn't tell."

"You're not the first. If everyone knew what Cole was they would try to drive him out for fear of him being a demon." Solas' face grew dark. "It's sickening, how ignorant people are. The things they don't understand they try to destroy."

"Like mages…" Talyn said.

"They locked them up in towers, and only let them out when their gifts were needed. And those who refuse to be in a tower were hunted down and either forced to join a Circle or die. I would have preferred to be in Tevinter at this point, if it wasn't for their use of slaves."

"And that was the reason the mages revolted, isn't it? Why the Templar-mage war began?"

Solas smiled. "Among other reasons."

Talyn looked at the dying fire again. "Cole said something interesting about me before he disappeared."

"And what did he say?"

She looked at Solas. "He said I was a goddess of fire and wind. Do you know what he could have meant by that?"

It was Solas' turn to look at the fire. "Spirits are often hard to understand."

He stood to his feet. "We should rest. Tomorrow we should be in Orlais."

And soon the dreaded ball. Talyn sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

So they laid out their mats on the hard ground, and slept under the stars.

 _Talyn was standing in the middle of a field. The dewdrops resting on the dark blades of grass sparkled like a sea of diamonds underneath the full moon. The cool summer wind whistled a melody through the sighing trees, and thunder boomed in the distance. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sky, breathing in the smell of lilacs and pine trees. This world of eternal night was serene, and it filled her with a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a while._

 _She felt eyes on her, so she turned around and peered into the trees. There was a strange, shimmering haze inside the forest. She walked towards the tree line and stopped just as her feet hit the line between the moonlit field and the forest._

 _She watched the shadow walk toward her and smiled when she saw who it was. Solas smiled back at her at her and reached for her._

 _But Talyn backed away, and tilted her head, a playful smirk dancing on her lips._

 _That made Solas frown, and he took a step towards her._

 _Talyn took a step back._

 _"Come here," Solas said softly, pleadingly. Like a starving wolf desperate for a meal._

 _She laughed, the sound ringing in the air. And then she shook her head._

 _"Catch me if you can!"_

 _Talyn took off running, leaving a trail of fireflies floating into the sky behind her. She heard Solas' laughter, and then nothing but the sound of her own footsteps._

 _She ran into the forest, weaving in and out of the dark trees. The iridescent fog that coated the air felt like peppermint on her skin. For a moment she thought she heard a growl, but when she looked back to investigate there was nothing there. She dodged a tree and kept her focus on what was in front of her._

 _And then, out of nowhere, Solas appeared in front of her. Talyn skidded to a stop before they collided. Within the blink of an eye her had her pinned against a tree, a wolfish grin on his flawless face._

 _"Caught you." His voice was low and silky, and it made her breath catch in her chest._

 _"What's my prize?" He asked, his eyes flickering to her lips._

 _Talyn grinned and placed her hands on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat pounding against her fingertips. When his gaze went back to her eyes, she let out a mischievous giggle, and shoved him away from her._

 _"Games not over yet."_

 _This time, when that seductive, primal smile graced his face, Talyn noticed that his canines were sharper, like fangs. A growl rumbled low in his chest. The sound made Talyn's whole body tremble, and her lower belly tied itself into knots._

 _Talyn started to run again, before she could change her mind about her game._

 _Suddenly, the scenery around her changed. She was no longer in a dark forest, but in the Guardian Grove that Solas had shown her months ago. The shining bone white trees with their silver leaves formed a ring around her like a beautiful, inescapable prison. She slid to a stop and looked around. But she was the only one in the grove._

 _It was too quiet._

 _Solas slammed her into the ground, making her shout in surprise. But it didn't take long for Talyn to regain her composure and fight to get him off her. They rolled around in the grass, both fighting to pin the other one down. Their wrestling was brief and ended with Talyn straddling Solas' waist._

 _"I win." Talyn teased him breathlessly._

 _Solas laughed. "Yes, you do."_

 _He looked different in this quiet world. There was something ancient in his eyes that glowed like the stars above them. Talyn rested her hands on his chest. She could feel the hard muscles underneath his shirt, and the mana underneath his skin. She had always known that Solas was powerful, but she had never felt the force of his magic until now. It reminded her of a volcano just waiting to explode. She shivered at the thought of what destruction Solas could cause with that much power. Her lyrium reacted to it, the glow coming off her body rippling like water._

 _Solas reached up and touched her cheek, fascination written all over his face._

 _"Beautiful." He whispered._

 _Talyn could feel the heat rising to her cheeks. She smiled down at him. She didn't know where her courage was coming from. All she knew was that for the first time since she woke up, Talyn felt whole. She reached out to touch the jawbone that hung from a leather string around his neck. The bone was black with age and looked just as deadly as whatever creature it must have come from. She ran her finger along the sharp teeth still embedded in the bone._

 _"You really think so?" She asked him softly while she toyed with the bone._

 _He stared at her as if she was the only person in the entire world. For the first time his guard was down. Talyn could see his torn, beaten soul, could almost feel all the pain and love and fear that was carried in those eyes. And he spoke in a whisper, "the moment I saw you, I felt the whole world change."_

 _And just as fast as it happened, Solas shut down in front of her. She could feel him pulling away from her, putting up the barriers he always kept firmly in place. He turned his gaze away from her, and she could feel that he was about to push her off him._

 _No. Talyn wouldn't let him shut her out this time. She refused to let him seal himself in his walls of ice where she wasn't allowed to go. Not this time._

 _She placed her hand on his cheek and turned his face towards hers. He watched her curiously. With her heart pounding nervously, she leaned and kissed him._

 _And he was perfectly still._

 _Talyn jumped off him and stumbled backwards like he was on fire. She tripped over her own feet and fell, then scrambled to get up again. Her face burned with humiliation. She had thought that he felt the same..._

 _She couldn't look at him, but she heard the guilt in his tone when he called out her name._

 _"I-I'm sorry." She stammered out, her voice barely audible. She turned and ran away._

 _She didn't make it far before Solas grabbed her arm and yanked her back, crushing her to him._

 _They fit together so well, it was as if the gods themselves had made them for each other. In that moment, nothing else mattered but Solas. He surrounded her, took over all her senses. Each kiss sent an electric spark down Talyn's spine, every touch made her heart beat faster until she felt it would explode. In Solas' arms, she finally felt like she was home._

 _And then he pulled away from her, his hands on her cheeks. His eyes were dancing, his smile was contagious._

 _But he said, "no. We shouldn't do this here."_

 _Talyn frowned, that feeling of euphoria gone. "What do you mean? No one else is here."_

 _Solas' smile was teasing now. "Where do you think we are?"_

 _Talyn turned her head to look around. "We're in the Guardian Grove."_

 _Solas pulled her back into his arms and placed a kiss on her forehead. And then he whispered in her ear, "it's time to_ _ **wake up**_ _."_

Talyn lifted her head and looked around. She was back at the camp. She looked up at the sky and saw the pitch black sky. Reality came crashing back down on her. Then she looked down, and saw that while she slept she had rolled off of her sleeping mat and had her head on Solas' chest.

She was blushing fiercely. She frowned and watched him. There was no indication he was awake. She even whispered his name and got no response.

She rolled back to her sleeping mat and fell asleep, the ghost of his kiss still on her lips.

* * *

When I rewrote the dream scene, I listened to Feel Like Falling by Digital Daggers. I totally feel like that's their song. You should check it out!


	22. Chapter 22

For once, Talyn didn't dream. There was no Solas, there was no murderous redheaded elf. Just blissful darkness. At dawn, she was the first one awake. Her mind was swimming with thoughts of the kiss her and Solas shared in the world of dreams, so she rolled up her sleeping mat and went to walk in the woods to try to clear it.

She wanted to talk to Solas about last night, but she was afraid. She knew he was a Fadewalker and that he could enter people's dreams. But was that really him in her dream, or was that just a figment of her imagination? What if he hadn't actually visited her last night and that she had made the whole thing up? It would be embarrassing if Talyn admitted that she dreamt about kissing him and it hadn't actually happened.

It was definitely a possibility that Solas didn't visit her dreams last night. There were so many times where Talyn had thought they were going to kiss though. The gardens of the Redcliffe castle. In his study when he was teaching her to dance. It felt like a moment that had been building since they first met.

She had tried to push her feelings for Solas away, to focus only on her mission to defeat Corypheus. But then he would do something, look at her in a certain way that made Talyn forget everything but the feeling of his hands in hers, or the feeling of his lips against her forehead while she was fighting for her life in the snowy wastelands of the mountain. Or he would say something cryptic that could mean multiple things, forcing Talyn to stay up all night to try and decipher his words.

And after he done or said whatever made Talyn's heart fluttery, he would shut her out. Talyn just couldn't tell if his feelings were reciprocated or not, and that was the part that scared her the most. Because at this point Talyn couldn't hide the way she felt, from herself or anyone else. And she was terrified of losing the only person that truly understood her.

As Talyn walked, she heard a sound, like a crackling fire. She stopped and tilted her head, pushing her keen ears to pick up more. It just sounded like a fire. But Talyn decided to investigate. Maybe she would get lucky and it would be a group of bandits. A good messy fight was exactly what she needed to clear her head of her pesky thoughts about Solas.

Her left hand started to burn. The Mark that made its home in her palm started to glow, and her tattoos reacted to it. It started to pull her, almost dragging her through the trees towards the source of the sound.

Oh, gods. It was a _rift._ Talyn had thought that when the Breach was sealed, all the rifts had been sealed as well. What was this one doing so far out in the trees?

Talyn unsheathed her sword and started to run, letting the Mark pull her in the direction of the rift.

Demons were crawling through it, gripping the frozen ground and pulling themselves into the realm of mortals. They were just lowly shades, easy enough to deal with. It only took Talyn a few moments to cut them down. But before Talyn could seal the rift more demons appeared. This time it wasn't just shades, but rage demons as well. They oozed their way towards Talyn, swinging with their molten lava arms, grazing Talyn's skin and leaving burns as they did so.

Talyn pulled her dagger out of its sheath tied to her thigh and fought with both weapons, turning into nothing but a bright blue whirlwind. She didn't have time to even stun the demons with her Mark, they all came at her too quickly. It was all she could do to keep them from killing her.

Something cold grazed her cheek before embedding itself in the rage demon she was currently fighting. She smelled fresh cedar and knew right away that it was Solas to the rescue. She felt him at her back, shooting well aimed ice spikes at the demons. She felt the tingling of a magical shield surrounding her, keeping her from harm.

"Talyn, now!" He shouted at her. Talyn turned and ran closer to the rift, slicing demons with her sword as she ran. Then she held up her hand, felt the tether between the Mark and the rift, and cut it.

The rift exploded, raining tiny green lights as it shut. What demons were left were too stunned to fight back, so the battle ended quickly.

Talyn wiped the demon blood off of her blades with her fingers and sheathed them.

She grinned at him. "Well, I'm glad you showed up."

Solas scowled at her. "What were you doing alone?"

Talyn was taken aback by his anger towards her. "I was just walking. No one else was awake…"

"So you thought it would be a good idea to go off into an unfamiliar forest alone?" He snapped.

Talyn herself was getting angry. "I can take care of myself." She snapped back at him.

Solas snorted. "Clearly you can. It's not as if I didn't find you surrounded by demons."

What was his problem? Why was he so angry? Honestly Talyn was curious, but his anger was rolling off of him and seeping into Talyn's skin, blurring the logical side of her brain. All she wanted to do was shout at him.

So she got up in his face, and said to him angrily, "I'm the gods damned Inquisitor. I can do whatever I damn well please, and if you have a problem with that you can leave!"

Then she stormed off back in the direction of the camp.

She didn't look behind her, but she knew that Solas wasn't far from her. She could feel his eyes on her as she aggressively stomped her way back to the camp. For the first time that she could remember, Talyn wasn't walking with silent feet. If there were anything dangerous lurking in the woods, they could hear her coming.

How dare he act like that, chastising her like she was a child?! And this wasn't the first time he had done it. Talyn was more capable of taking care of herself than Solas was. She had fought hundreds of monsters and men and lived. She took on a dragon and survived. She didn't need him to come to her rescue.

GODS. She was so furious with him she could feel her hands warm, and small blue flames nested in her palms. She made her hands into fists to snuff the fires out. She wanted to bash his face in so badly. Once that thought entered her mind, she winced, as if she was physically hurt. No. She didn't want to do that. She could never hurt Solas. But he was so infuriating!

Luckily the rest of the way back to the camp was uneventful. Everyone was awake at this point, and at the sight of Talyn Josephine nearly screamed. Her tan face was devoid of blood and her brown-gold eyes were Josephine was having a panic attack, Cassandra and Leiliana were reaching for their weapons.

"Are we in danger?" Cassandra asked her, completely unphased by Talyn's appearance.

"It was just a rift in the woods." Solas responded, appearing by Talyn's side.

Talyn scoffed and walked away from him.

"I handled it." She told them, her words sharper than they were intended to be. "We need to leave before any more unpleasant surprises show up."

Everyone exchanged glances. They could tell how agitated Talyn was, so they started to pack up the camp without another word. Josephine opened her mouth to say something to Talyn as she saddled her horse, but then thought better of it. She was probably going to suggest that Talyn bathed first before they left. She was completely covered with demon blood. Even her white-blonde hair had black in it.

They were on the road again an hour later. Talyn pushed her horse into a gallop, moving as far away from the carriage, and Solas, as she possibly could. Once she was a safe distance away, her horse slowed and Talyn looked around at the world around her.

Except Talyn was too irritated to appreciate the scenery.

They stopped right before entering the capital of Orlais so Talyn could wash off the dried black blood that still coated her skin. There was a secluded swimming hole that had enough trees and forest growth to block her from view. So Talyn peeled off her ebony armor and dove right in. When the icy water engulfed her, it felt like a breath of fresh air. Goosebumps formed all over her body, but the water felt amazing. It shocked Talyn, somehow washing away the black cloud that had hung over her head all day, along with the demon blood.

Talyn knelt down in the water so that it went up to her chin, and started to scrub to blood out of her hair. She closed her eyes and dunked her head.

When she resurfaced, she saw someone standing in front of her in the water. Staring at her. Someone she recognized.

It was the woman from her dream. Not the redhead, but the hideously deformed elvhen woman, the one with hatred in her emerald eyes and a black hole for a nose. Her brown hair had bald patches in it, and thin strands of it fell into the water and floated away with the current. Her cracked, bloody lips were formed into a snarl, showing broken teeth.

"This is your fault." Her voice was raspy, as if it hadn't been used in a long time.

Talyn felt the same fear that she had felt in that dream. She backed away from her.

"Go away!" Talyn cried. "Please just leave!" Her weapons were too far away to grab. She was vulnerable.

"YOU DID THIS TO ME!" The woman shouted, pointing at her face.

"What did I do?!" Talyn asked desperately, tears streaming down her face. "WHAT DID I DO?!"

The woman hobbled towards her, not even making a ripple in the water as she did so. Talyn kept backing away from her, but no matter how fast Talyn was, the woman seemed to be faster. Talyn was paralyzed with terror, she couldn't raise her arms to protect herself. All she could do was walk backwards.

With the speed of a striking snake, the woman covered Talyn's face and shoved her down underneath the water.

 _It was a dungeon, dark and dirty. She could hear the screeches of rats and the moans of the unfortunate that were trapped in this place. She was walking down the damp hall lined with cells, the chains on her wrists rattling as she moved. She was shoved, told to walk faster by a voice coming from behind her. But Talyn couldn't move her head to see who was speaking. It was like she was looking through the eyes of someone else._

 _But Talyn could see the blue swirls that decorated her hands, so she knew that whatever memory she was witnessing, it was her own._

 _The person behind her yanked on the chain, making her stop in front of a wooden door. A soldier in gold armor adorned with emerald leaves stepped into her vision. He knocked on the door and listened closely, nearly pressing his pointed ear into the door._

 _Talyn just stood there, silent. She felt calm, but she could also feel the dread that she was pushing down into the darkest corners of her heart. She did it so efficiently, as if she had been trained to master her emotions._

 _The door was opened, and the soldier shoved her inside, shutting it behind them._

 _The stone walls were covered in dark, dried blood. There were claw marks in the stone, white against the darkness of the walls. There were no windows, just a small hole in the corner of the room that shed any light into it. Candles were lit with blue Fade light all over the room, and there was one chair that was bolted to the floor, with a lone elf shackled to it._

 _Talyn felt shock, and guilt. The elf shackled to the chair was someone she knew. Someone she called friend._

 _"You betrayed me,_ ma vhenan." _A familiar, cold voice came from the shadows._

 _Talyn felt nervous, but the Talyn from her memories was filled with a calm rage as she turned to see the woman that threatened her friend._

 _It was the beautiful huntress, the goddess that Talyn ran to happily in the beginning of all of her nightmares. A crown shaped from branches sat on top of her pale red hair, her face was paler than it should be, her eyes sunken in and black with madness._

 _Talyn could hear herself say, "I only betrayed myself, for refusing to see the truth."_

 _"Truth?" The redhead cackled maniacally. "I'll show you some truth."_

 _She could feel herself struggling against the magic shackles around her hands and ankles. Talyn didn't know how she knew, but the shackles were made specifically for her. The more Talyn struggled against them, the tighter they became until they were digging into her skin._

 _The redhead picked up a knife, and grab a fistful of the elf woman's hair, yanking her head back._

 _"Rasda." The woman in the chair croaked. Her terrified eyes were pleading with Talyn, begging her to save her._

 _"You took everything from me." The red head told Talyn. "So now you get to watch as I take everything from you."_

 _"No." Talyn heard herself beg. "This is between you and me. She has nothing to do with this."_

 _"This is your fault Rasdalalen. You caused this." The redhead smirked._

 _Talyn watched helplessly as she picked up the knife._

 _She stared with the woman's cheek. The red line was deep, and she could hear the woman scream._

 _The redhead laughed._

 _No matter how hard Talyn tried, she couldn't save her. She watched as the redhead cut her face until it was nearly unrecognizable. She watched her as she slowly sawed off the womans nose, causing as much pain as she could. The woman's beautiful bronze hair was torn from her scalp, her skin still attached to the clumps of hair. The blood dripped from the woman's wounds, down her neck and soaking into the dirty torn dress she wore._

 _"RASDAAAAA!" The woman screamed for her. "RASDA HELP ME!"_

Talyn gasped for air as strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her out of the water. She was shivering uncontrollably, violent sobs tearing up her chest and throat.

"Are you alright? What happened?" Solas asked her, wrapping a cloak around her.

Talyn fell to her knees, her face in her hands. She started to rock back and forth as all of the emotions that the Talyn in her memories had suppressed came at her in full force. Guilt, shame, despair. It piled on top of her like boulders, crushing her chest.

"Shhh, it's alright Talyn." She could feel Solas' arms around her, holding her close, stopping her from her rocking.

"It's my fault!" Talyn managed to blubber out. "I didn't stop her… IT'S MY FAULT!"

"No." Solas said, almost violently. He put his hands on her cheeks and forced her to look at him. "You did everything you could."

"I'm a monster!" She cried.

" _No you are not!_ Never say that!" He pulled her into a hug again, and this time Talyn wrapped her arms around his neck, the cloak falling off of her shoulders.

Talyn didn't know how long they sat there like that. Eventually her sobs subsided, her eyes felt puffy. When she came to her senses, she quickly grabbed the cloak that had fallen off of her and wrapped herself in it, not meeting Solas' eyes.

Without another word she grabbed her armor and walked away where Solas couldn't see her put it on.

Then they went back to their journey. When Talyn _and_ Solas emerged from the trees, no one dared asked why it took so long. When they saw her face, they suppressed their scandalous grins. The only one who seemed to have any concern for her was Cassandra.

Talyn had no more fight in her. She didn't care that Solas stayed glued to her side for the rest of their journey. She couldn't bring herself to do anything but sit on her horse. It was a miracle that her horse knew where to go, because Talyn definitely wasn't guiding him. Her thoughts were consumed with what happened in the river.

Was she going insane? Were her memories manifesting before her very eyes? Was invading her dreams not enough?

All of that pain… and that was only a fraction of the pain Talyn had experienced. She knew that her past was saturated in pain. Suddenly, she didn't want to know what happened to her. She wanted to stay ignorant of all the pain she had to endure before coming to Haven. She didn't want to know who she was before she became the Herald of Andraste.

They arrived in the capital by the time night fell. They stayed in a little inn by the castle. Talyn, being the Inquisitor, had a room to herself. She was glad that she had the privacy of not sharing the room with Josephine, Leiliana or Cassandra. Talyn hadn't said a word since the river and she wasn't planning on saying anything until she was forced to.

 _She was in the Guardian Grove again, laying in the damp grass and staring up at the lightly glowing leaves of the guardian trees. She turned her head to see Solas laying next to her. He was staring at her, his arms tucked underneath his head. He had that same otherworldly look to him, his eyes an unnatural bright silver._

 _Talyn sat up, and started to pluck at the blades of grass. "So, that was really you last night."_

 _"Yes." Solas responded._

 _"We did actually kiss…"_

 _Solas sat up as well. "Yes, we did."_

 _"So, is that why you were a dick to me this morning? Didn't like it?" Bitterness coated Talyn's voice._

 _"Quite the opposite, actually."_

 _Normally, Talyn's face would have been a bright red, her heart pounding at his words. But tonight, in this dream, she felt nothing. Nothing but the overwhelming feeling of emptiness._

 _Solas picked up on that quickly. "What did you see in the river?" His voice was gentle, understanding. That made Talyn angry._

 _She made a strange noise, a mixture of a sigh and a growl and jumped to her feet, stomping away from him. Fireflies flew up into the sky, leaving a trail of gold behind her. He appeared out of nowhere directly in front of her, grabbing her shoulders, making her stop in her tracks._

 _"Talk to me, Talyn."_

 _Talyn couldn't meet his eyes. "There's nothing to say."_

 _"Bullshit. You were inconsolable. You still are."_

 _Solas gently gripped her chin and forced her head up, making her meet his eyes._

 _"Tell me what happened."_

 _Talyn tore herself from his grip. "You want to know what happened, Solas? I'm cursed. I'm being haunted by a woman who was tortured beyond repair. A beautiful elf who I watched be destroyed and did absolutely nothing about!"_

 _Talyn walked away from him again. And, once more, Solas was in front of her and stopped her._

 _"You saw a memory?"_

 _Tears filled Talyn's eyes. "Yeah, I did. Of that crazed redhead, whoever the fuck she is, torturing my friend. And I can't even remember her name. I don't remember the name of the woman I let die."_

 _And then she started crying. Solas wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to his chest. Her arms hung limply by her sides, but she let him hold her. She buried her face in his chest and cried until there were no more tears left in her body. And then, when her tears subsided, she still let him hold her._

 _Her throat thick with sorrow, she said, "the redhead called me Rasdalalen. Assassin. That's my True Name Solas, I was right all along. I've felt it in my bones since the day I woke up in Haven. I'm nothing but death hiding in elvhen skin."_

 _Solas was quiet for awhile, thinking about what to say to her._

 _Then, speaking barely above a whisper, he said, "we all have blood on our hands. But the blood… it is not who we are."_

 _His lips touched her ear. "I know who you are, Talyn. You are so much more than your memories."_

 _"Then who am I?"_

 _Solas tilted her chin up so she was forced to look at him. "You are my salvation."_

 _Then he was gone._


	23. Chapter 23

The Empress' castle was beyond anything that Talyn had ever seen. It's tall towers reached into the sky, curving into elegant points that stabbed the clouds threatening to cover the moon. In the courtyard there was an enormous fountain shooting water into the air and creating a fine mist as it splashed back into the pool of water, reminding Talyn of a waterfall.

Talyn recognized some of the Orlesian nobles from Alexius' sentencing as she climbed out of the carriage. At least, she recognized the ridiculous masks they all wore. Josephine explained to her that it was part of the Game, the ridiculous name that Orlesian's called their politics. They were all slightly different, and yet completely the same. A slight change of color around the eyes, or the jewels or feathers embedded into the masks was all the difference you could make out between the sea of masks.

Talyn was the only one wearing a dress. The council, Solas, and Cole all wore the same red and blue uniform that showed their ties to the Inquisition. Honestly Talyn would have felt much more comfortable in the red shirt and blue pants they all got to wear.

Although, she couldn't deny that her dress was beautiful. It clung to her curves, the long sleeves accentuating the lean muscles underneath it. There was a slit up the side of the dress that went almost to her hip, revealing the azure swirls that were branded into her skin. The material was black and virtually see through, except for the dark lace that was tastefully placed along the sleeves, chest, and hips of the dress.

She definitely stood out, and it made her uncomfortable. However, she was eternally grateful to Josephine that she hadn't put her in one of the poofy monstrosities the other women were wearing. At least she could move comfortably. She didn't understand how the others could breathe, with their corsets so tight they looked like they were trying to fit into a child's dress.

She couldn't help her smile whenever she saw Solas staring at her in it, his eyes glued to her.

Their conversation last night had made Talyn feel more like herself again. And now that she knew that Solas felt the same way she did, she felt light as a feather. It was difficult to keep her mind focused on the task at hand, when all she wanted to do in this moment was be alone with the elf man. She had to keep reminding herself that the fate of the world was much more important than her love life.

Duke Gaspard's mask was just pure gold. Simple, yet efficient. He was waiting in front of the fountain for her, and upon her arrival stepped forward to the door of the carriage. He held his gloved hand out to her with a smile on his face.

Talyn accepted his hand and let him help her out of the carriage.

"Inquisitor Talyn, it is an honor to meet you at last." The Duke greeted her with a thick Orlesian accent.

Talyn's sensitive ears picked up on all of the muffled gasps and shocked, angry whispers upon the duke's greeting.

"That's the Inquisitor?! An elf savage?!"

"Look at those tattoos, she's nothing but an animal!"

"What is she doing here?!"

"What on earth is she wearing? Is that what savages think is _fashion?"_

Talyn was glad that her pale hair was down, and that it was dark outside. She could feel her ears burning with embarrassment. But she held her head high and pushed through it. This was exactly how the Chantry had reacted when the people proclaimed her to be Andrasate's Herald. She had already been through this, and she could do it again. She could handle their hatred as many times as she would have to, if it meant that she could stand over Corypheus' corpse.

She smiled politely at the Duke. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you as well, Duke Gaspard."

"I must say you are the most stunning creature I have laid eyes on. The stories have nothing on the real Herald of Andraste."

Talyn laughed. "I'm flattered by your kind words."

"It begs the question if the rumors are true, that you truly battled an army of _demons._ "

"I promise, the stories are true."

Duke Gaspard laughed. "Oh, that is wonderful. If you did that, imagine what the Inquisition could accomplish with the full support of the _rightful_ Emperor of Orlais?"

Talyn just kept smiling politely. "I can see many benefits to such an alliance."

If he didn't stop looking at her like that, Talyn was going to slit his throat. She turned to look at Solas. He was standing behind her with the council, his eyes still on her. He gave her a discreet, encouraging smile.

"Keep the image firmly in mind. We may see it materialize by the end of the evening. I am not a man who forgets his friends, Inquisitor. You help me, and I'll help you."

His words were suspicious. Did he plan on murdering the Empress tonight? Talyn couldn't see the Duke in league with Corypheus, but it was clear that his greed knew no bounds, even with his family. Talyn couldn't take anything without a grain of salt tonight.

He changed the subject, stopping right at the steps that led up to the doors of the castle, with a playful smile on his face. "Are you prepared to shock the assembly as a guest of a hateful usurper, My Lady?"

Talyn grinned. "Are _you_ prepared to be seen with the "savage" Inquisitor?"

Gaspard laughed again. "We are quite a pair, aren't we?"

Talyn smiled and linked their arms. "This is going to be a party that will be remembered a millenia from now."

As they walked up the steps, Gaspard whispered in her ear, "whatever reason you are here for Inquisitor, I advise you be as discreet as possible. I detest the Game, but if we do not play it well our enemies will make us the villains."

Oh, yes. Gaspard _definitely_ detested Orlesian politics. That was why he was trying to gain Talyn's support for his right to the throne two minutes ago. Absolutely.

But she just reminded herself to smile.

Gaspard led her into the ballroom.

Talyn spotted the Empress standing at the balcony overlooking the dance floor, her hands resting on the ivory rail. There was a woman by her side, one with the same blond hair as her. Talyn guessed that the woman was related to her in some way.

Everything was so… _shiny._ It slightly hurt Talyn's eyes to look at all of the gold decorating the walls. She kept her eyes forward to avoid them watering. She descended the step onto the main floor, and waited for it to be her turn to be introduce.

"Introducing the Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalone." The servant up above read from a parchment.

The duke bowed, and then started to walk the length of the floor.

"And accompanying him, Lady Inquisitor Talyn."

There were more shocked gasps and whispers as Talyn bowed and followed Gaspard.

She heard him chuckle softly and say under his breath, "did you see their faces? Priceless."

As she walked, the servant said, "Herald of Andraste, Leasher of the Rebel Mages, and Vanquisher of Dragons."

That bothered her. No one actually knew if Talyn had _killed_ the dragon, it had just been knocked out of the sky for a reason she couldn't explain. And she didn't like being called "Leasher of the Rebel Mages". She had to remind herself that _shems_ were afraid and cruel towards the things they didn't understand, and that going into a fit of rage in the middle of their mission would mean the end of the world.

The servant introduced Talyn's companions as well. Cassandra's name was rather impressive. Talyn counted at least seven middle names.

"And Solas, the Inquistor's elven serving man."

That made Talyn's blood boil. She had to breathe in deeply in and out of her nose to keep the smile on her face, although her hands twitched with rage. She could feel them burning, although thankfully those strange fires on her palms hadn't appeared.

Solas was the wisest, most powerful mage she knew. And he was lessened to that of her _servant._

"Cousin, sister." Gaspard greeted them unceremoniously.

Empress Celine was the epitome of grace when she replied, "my dear Duke, we are always honored when your presence graces our court."

She could see Gaspard roll his eyes. "Don't waste my time with pleasantries Celine, we have business to conclude."

Celine's smile was cold. If Talyn could see her eyes, they probably would have been cold as well. No matter what facade she put on, the hatred for her cousin would always be apparent.

"We will meet for the negotiations after we tend to our guests, dear cousin."

Gaspard turned and climbed the stairs to the upper level of the ball room without another word.

"Lady Inquisitor," the Empress turned to Talyn with an exceptionally warmer smile on her face, "your arrival is like a cool breeze on a summer day."

Talyn bowed. "Let us hope that the weather doesn't turn foul."

She was hoping that Celine would understand the warning in her words, that there was a threat in her court on this night. But whether the Empress truly knew the meaning behind her words, the woman didn't show any understanding.

"How are you enjoying your stay in Halamshiral, Inquisitor?"

"It is beyond anything I could have imagined, Your Grace."

"The Inquisition?" The woman by her side, Gaspard's sister, spoke up in surprise. "I had no idea the Inquisition would be joining our festivities tonight. We will have to speak later on, Lady Inquisitor."

Talyn smiled. "I look forward to it."

She bowed once more and exited the main floor.

The ballroom was gradually becoming more crowded, as the people from outside ventured in to greet their Empress and enjoy the food and drink. Soon, after all the greetings were over with, people started to dance, their glittering dresses and jewels reminded Talyn of something, an image that was right at the surface of her mind, but not close enough to grasp. Something from her past.

Unable to recall the image, Talyn made her way to the refreshments.

"You look lovely, Inquisitor." Cullen was leaning the buffet table, drinking wine like it was water.

Talyn smiled at you. "Josephine chose well, didn't she?"

"Every set of eyes has been on you since we arrived. I would also say that she made an excellent choice." He smiled back at her.

Talyn leaned over to grab a glass. "Is everyone prepared?" She said under her breath.

"Yes. We await your orders." He responded in a whisper.

A small group of excited whispers drew Talyn's attention. She looked over and saw four young women standing close to each other, the bottom half of their faces, where their masks weren't covering them, were red. They kept turning to each other and looking over at the two of them.

Talyn looked back at Cullen, who met her eyes and coughed uncomfortably.

"It looks like you have a fan club." Talyn teased him.

Cullen blushed, and gulped down his wine.

Then he said with dread in his voice, "I think one of them is going to ask me to dance."

Talyn had never seen this side of Cullen before. She had no idea that he was so _shy._

Talyn set her glass down. "Well, they're going to have to wait. Your Inquisitor demands a dance."

She reached out a sapphire tattooed hand to him, and he stared at it.

"Inquisitor, don't you think that would be… inappropriate?" He asked her in a low voice.

Talyn rolled her eyes. "What is even more inappropriate is you rejecting the Inquisitor. Of the Inquisition." She leaned in and whispered, " _your_ Inquisition."

Cullen took her hand with a look of relief on his face, which made Talyn laugh.

They joined the crowd of jewels and twirled with the rest of them. Talyn was rather proud of herself that she hadn't stepped on Cullen's foot _once._ But she could feel the eyes of everyone on her, watching every move that she made. Her abnormal hearing could pick up a few whispers about her, none of them pleasant. Talyn was finally beginning to understand what Josephine warned her about The Game.

"Thank you, Inquisitor." Cullen whispered in her ear.

Talyn laughed, and responded, "I was just trying to help you get away from those women, but I'm afraid I got you even more attention."

He smiled. "Well, if it's any consolation, you dance pretty well for a-"

"Elf savage?" Talyn laughed again, bitterness sneaking its way in there. "I do, don't I? Solas is a good teacher."

Cullen didn't say anything at first. He just stared at her with an unreadable look on his face. And then his eyes went around the room. And then, he leaned in close, and said softly, "I see no elf savage here, Inquisitor. All I see is the most beautiful woman in Thedas. And all of the people around her are green with envy because she shines brighter than Andraste herself."

Talyn was speechless. Before she could stammer out a reply, the song was over. Cullen bowed, and walked away.

For the love of Sylaise, where had _that_ come from?

Talyn went up the stairs, where Leiliana met her, giving her no time to contemplate what just happened.

"Inquisitor, we need to talk." She said to her.

Talyn followed Leiliana out of the ballroom, into a room where there were less people. She weaved through the golden couches to the one on the farthest side of the room. They both sat down. It was only when they were seated that Talyn saw something dark glistening on one of Leiliana's boots.

"Leiliana, is that… blood?" Talyn whispered.

She nodded solemnly. "I was searching for suspects when I heard two servants speaking of blood in the Grand Library. When I went to investigate, I followed a blood trail that led me to a corpse in a storage closet."

"Do you know who it was?"

Leiliana shook her head. "He looked like a mercenary. There was a crumpled piece of parchment in his hand, with the words 'servants quarters' written on them. I cannot go look myself, I'm certain someone saw me find the body. I didn't see anyone, but I felt their eyes."

"And now you're on their watch list, whoever "they" are." Talyn sighed. "Alright, go find Solas. Tell him to meet me by the servant's quarters."

"You should bring Cassandra or Cullen with you as well." Leiliana cautioned.

"No, they'll attract too much attention." It would be a miracle if no one paid attention to Talyn slipping away from the party. "They all think Solas is just a servant, he won't matter to them."

"Then I will look for Cole too. He's good at being invisible. "

He was indeed. Talyn hadn't seen him once this entire time. She hoped Leiliana would be able to find him.

Leiliana left first, and Talyn stayed on the couch, reaching over to grab a glass of champagne from one of the serving elf's trays. She finished her own glass before standing up and also making her way out of the room.

Before she could go back into the ballroom, a tall, dark haired woman stepped in front of her. Her golden eyes glittered dangerously with magic, the neckline of her burgundy dress dove to her belly button, leaving very little to the imagination. She was beautiful, in a dark, seductive sort of way. She was smirking at Talyn.

"Your little spies have been scouring every dark corner of this palace, Inquisitor." She said to her.

Talyn raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She said to the woman politely.

She laughed at her. "Of course you don't. I was hoping that we could be hunting the same prey, but perhaps I was wrong."

The woman turned away, and Talyn grabbed her arm.

"Wait." Talyn said. "Maybe we are."

The woman smirked again. "I am Morrigan, the Empress' court adviser on the occult."

"And who are you looking for?"

"A snake in disguise." Was her response.

Talyn nodded. "The Empress is in danger."

"Yes, she is. And as I cannot leave her side for that reason alone, I thought that you might be interested in this."

Morrigan held Talyn's hand, and placed something in her palm. Talyn closed her hand around it.

"Now, go do what you're good at, Inquisitor." Morrigan winked, and then walked away.

Talyn looked down at what the woman had given her. It was a key.


	24. Chapter 24

After a while of mingling with the nobles, Talyn managed to slip away to the servant's quarters. In a closet nearby there were weapons that one of the spies had left for her and the others. Talyn strapped her daggers to her thigh and saw Solas' staff still leaning against the wall in the back corner. A worried frown settled on her face for a moment.

But she was pleasantly surprised when she turned around and found him standing there with a small smile on his face.

Solas went past her to get his staff, and when he came out he took her hand and planted a kiss on her knuckles. That small gesture turned Talyn speechless, and her damn tattoos lit up like a Yuletide fire. He smiled amusedly at her, and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks. His words from last night in her dream rang in her ears.

 _You're my salvation._

Despite the fact she didn't know what he meant by that, she couldn't help her smile.

Cole did his little materializing-into-thin-air trick, forcing Talyn to focus on the task at hand. Without a word the three of them slithered their way to the servant's quarters, making sure to stick to the shadows so no one saw them. Talyn took out the key that she had tucked away into the top of her dress and pushed it into the lock. As she predicted, it fit perfectly. With a quiet _click_ , the door opened.

They walked into what looked like a kitchen. Herbs hung from the racks dangling from the ceilings, pieces of shattered dishes lay scattered on the floor, decorating the white flour that covered the tiles as well. There were dark red blotches that made the flour clump together, and it trailed out of the kitchen into the adjoining room.

Talyn pulled her daggers out and followed the blood trail with quick, light steps, getting white flour on the hem of her gown. She pressed her back against the wall and peered around the corner into the next room. When she didn't see anything moving, she motioned for Solas and Cole to follow her, and walked into the room.

An elf woman sat with her back against the wall next to the door that led to the gardens. From the ashen look to her skin and the fact she had a stiff hand stuck to her bleeding belly, it was safe to assume that she was dead. Her cloudy, glassy eyes stared helplessly at the door behind Talyn.

She bent down and gently slid a hand over the poor woman's face, closing her eyes, and whispered an elvhen prayer that Dalish had taught her.

Then she straightened her back and continued out the door.

The gardens were closed off from the rest of the party, which was a blessing for the three trespassers. But they all stayed silent, just in case their enemy was skulking around the neatly trimmed shrubbery and the flowers that were slowly withering in the winter cold. Most of the paths in the gardens was covered with vines that hang off the metal arches that towered above them, so Talyn had to rely heavily on her abnormal hearing.

They came across another fountain bathed in moonlight, but the water that spouted from it was tinged with red. She walked around the fountain and saw the culprit for the contaminated water. An Orlesian noble was draped over the lip of the fountain, a dagger sticking out of his back. The noble's blood dripped slowly into the pool of water and formed a puddle around his feet.

Talyn yanked the dagger out of his back. It was a beautiful weapon, the hilt made of gold and the blade black as Solas' necklace.

Talyn made a mental note to ask him about that necklace, once this was done with.

Talyn looked closer at the blade, tilting it back so the light hit the words engraved on it.

"Duke Gaspard was here tonight." She said in a low voice, handing the dagger to Solas for him to see the name on the blade.

"We're not alone in this courtyard." Cole whispered.

Moments after he said that, Talyn's ears picked up on footsteps coming from the right. She whirled around and threw one of her daggers at the same moment Solas shot an ice spike from his hand. Neither of them made the intended target in time because Cole had appeared behind the man and slit his throat.

Talyn snorted and joked, "Cole is a better assassin than me. Maybe he should be the Inquisitor."

"No one is better than you, Rasdalalen." The spirit responded. And, of course, he was completely serious.

His response brought her back to her strange memory episode. _Rasdalalen._ It turned her muscles into stone. The intensity of her shame and guilt made it so that she couldn't even blink her eyes. It seemed that even her heart stopped beating.

"Cole!" Solas barked, although it wasn't much of a bark, since they were keeping their voices low. "Do not speak of that."

"Sorry." Cole replied.

Their voices sounded far away, an echo in the back of her mind. All she could hear was the poor elf woman's pleas for Talyn to help her, and that maniacal laugh that belonged to the demon that haunted her.

 _"LOOK WHAT YOU DID!"_ The red headed goddess was shouting in her head.

 _'She died. I killed her.'_ Talyn kept thinking to herself.

Solas stepped in front of Talyn and placed both of his hands on her cheeks. His gentle voice floated through her ears, louder than the others.

" _Ma'alas'en, garas na nin em_."

My world, come back to me.

The comforting warmth radiating from Solas thawed Talyn's winter skin. The phantom screams faded away, and Talyn finally blinked. She looked up at Solas and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

Solas ran his thumb over her cheek, which was the only indication to Talyn that she had been crying.

"Are you alright?" He whispered in concern.

"Your world, huh?" Talyn whispered back.

He smiled. "A figure of speech."

Talyn playfully shoved him away from her. "Yeah, we'll talk about your "figure of speech" later."

 _Ma'alas'en._ He called her _ma'alas'en._ It was a term of endearment that she had never heard in her time with the Inquisition. _Ma vhenan_ , my heart, was the only one she had ever heard from her fellow elves. Her tattoos glowed faintly again at the thought of his voice whispering that word.

She shook it off the best she could. She couldn't get sappy right now.

She walked over to where Cole was still standing over the body of the man who had been about to attack them. He had been wearing the same checkered armor and helmet that looked like a jester's hat that the Venatori liked to wear. The deep wound in his throat was still oozing blood. She pulled out her dagger that was sticking out of his chest.

"I think we have the answer to the Empress' assassin." She said, shoving the man with her foot so he rolled over onto his stomach.

"We should go back and tell the others." Cole suggested.

"We shouldn't make any decisions until the others know." Talyn agreed with him.

"This doesn't feel right." Solas spoke. "This seems too…"

"Easy?" Talyn finished his sentence. "I know. Maybe the others will have some insight into what we should do next."

Talyn wanted to search the gardens for more Venatori, but she was also afraid that they might be running out of time to save the Empress. If Gaspard truly was the one behind this, then her killer was sitting across from her at this exact moment.

So, they made their way back to the closet where they stashed their weapons. Cole disappeared, leaving Talyn and Solas alone. For once, she wasn't covered in blood from their brief fight, but her dress was dirty from trailing on the ground. Blood and flour were sticking to her legs.

"And this is why I wanted to wear pants." She complained as she leaned against the wall and tried to brush off the dirt on her shoes. "How am I going to explain this?"

Solas chuckled, and with a flick of his fingers, the dirt, blood and flour were brushed off the dress.

Talyn grinned. "Having you around is highly beneficial."

That seductive, wolfish grin she has seen him wear in her dream shone on his face. "In more ways than one."

That made her heart skip a beat.

"And what are those other ways?" She whispered.

He leaned in close to her, so close that if Talyn had moved a fraction of an inch they could have kissed.

"We can talk about that later, _ma'alas'en."_

And then he walked away.

Talyn felt like she had to catch her breath. She cursed under her breath and started walking back to the ballroom. Was she ever going to get used him? Or was she going to be in a state of nervous excitement around him for the rest of her life?

Everything in the ballroom was the same as when Talyn left it. People were dancing, drinks were being served, and she could see Celine and Gaspard sitting at a table above the dancefloor, and it looked like they were arguing. Her eyebrows furrowed in worry, and she scanned the room for Cullen, Leiliana, Cassandra and Josephine. When she saw Josephine's brilliantly beautiful golden gown, she started weaving through the people to get to her.

"Lady Inquisitor," the Empress' cousin intercepted her. "I've been waiting for a chance to speak with you."

Of course, just at the precise moment that Talyn returned from discovering a murdered noble, Gaspard's sister decided to come speak with her. What was her name? She tried to recall what Josephine said her name was. Florence? Florissa? Florianna?

Florianne!

Talyn bowed. "Grand Duchess Florianne, it is a pleasure to officially meet you."

Florianne did a curtsey. "Our brief introduction at the beginning of the night wasn't enough for me. I wanted to welcome you to my party myself."

Florianne set this night up? Talyn didn't know that.

"You've been the center of attention tonight. Trying to find a moment with you proved difficult."

Talyn smiled politely. "Yes, it seems the entire party wants to have a conversation with me. I must admit, the attention is a little overwhelming."

Florianne laughed. "Welcome to the Elite, Lady Inquisitor. Those with power are not alone often."

Talyn didn't like the way she referred to the Orlesian court as the "Elite".

"May I have a dance with you, Inquisitor Talyn?"

Talyn _really_ needed to get the council together. But if she refused the Grand Duchess, she would draw unnecessary attention. So she forced a smile, and offered a hand.

"Absolutely."

They walked down to the dance floor and started twirling with the others. No one spoke about Talyn's race this time, not when she was dancing with the Grand Duchess. In fact, they were afraid to even look at them.

"Are you enjoying my party, Inquisitor?" Florianne asked.

"It is a spectacle I have never seen before." Talyn replied honestly.

"I am glad. It took great effort to arrange tonight's negotiations. But one party would use this night to commit the blackest of treason. The security of the Empire is at stake, neither of us wants to see it fall."

Talyn was starting to grow suspicious.

"Do we both want that, Lady Florianne?"

Talyn wished she could see her face so she could know what the woman was thinking. She supposed that that was the point of the masks.

"I hope we are of one mind on this." The Duchess replied.

"In times like these, it is hard to tell friend from foe, is it not, Your Grace?"

"I know you arrived here as a guest of my brother Gaspard. And I know the Inquisition has been everywhere in the palace. You are a curiosity to many, Inquisitor. And a concern for some."

' _I could say the same to you, Lady Florianne.'_

"Am I the curiosity or the concern to you, Your Grace?"

Florianne seemed to dodge her question. "This night is of great importance, Inquisitor. I wonder what role you will play in it."

They spun around again.

"Do you yet know who is friend and who is foe?" She continued, "who in the court can be trusted?"

"I trust my instincts, Your Grace. They have yet to fail me."

That made Florianne smile. "You are smart. Everyone in the Winter Palace is alone."

Everyone in Orlais was alone, it seemed to Talyn.

"It cannot have escaped your notice that certain parties have been engaged in dangerous machinations tonight."

"I thought dangerous machinations was an Orlesian national sport." Talyn was only half-way joking.

The dance was over, so Talyn led Florianne to the stairs that would bring them to the second story.

"You have little time," Florianne whispered in her ear. "The attack will come soon. You must stop Gaspard before he strikes. In the garden of the Royal Wing, you will find the captain of my brother's mercenaries. He will be the proof you need."

And then she walked away from her.

It was hard not to rush when she went about gathering her council. She had to walk normally, smile, look graceful and perfect, and stop to say hello to those who wanted to speak with her when all she wanted to do was run screaming through the room for her friends.

She told Leiliana to help, and then went to look for Solas.

She found him in a room that led to yet another garden, leaning against a pillar and looking out of a window, a glass of wine in his hand.

"Enjoying yourself?" She asked.

"I've forgotten how much I enjoyed this." He responded. "I do adore the heady blend of power, intrigue, danger and sex that permeates these events."

"You've been to these things often?"

"No." Solas corrected himself quickly. "Only in the Fade. But I've always loved watching them."

"Good." Talyn smiled. "We're gathering to talk about what to do. Gaspard isn't the only suspect now."

She left the room, and a few minutes later, he followed.

They all gathered in one of the less occupied rooms. Talyn told them all about the Venatori agent and Gaspard.

"Solas, get me wine!" Talyn barked out an order when someone got to close to their group. She immediately regretted her tone of voice, but Solas didn't seem bothered by it. He did as he was told while they talked about something else briefly.

When he returned, Talyn thanked him for the wine, and handed it to Josephine. She was more than happy to accept it.

"I'm not so sure that Gaspard did it." Talyn whispered. "Florianne approached me after we got back, and she told me that Gaspard planned to attack tonight. She said his captain of the mercenaries is in the Royal Garden."

"She could just be trying to save her cousin and not have her family find out she betrayed her brother." Josephine said.

Talyn ran a hand through her hair. "I just don't know. There's something off about that woman. The way she spoke, the way she said it… she didn't even sound concerned, or panicked, or anything at all."

"She's the Grand Duchess of Orlais, Inquisitor. All nobility are good at concealing their emotions. That is how The Game is played." Cassandra added to the conversation.

"That's my point, Cassandra. We can't trust anything anyone says."

"I agree with Talyn. We could be walking into a trap." Leiliana sided with her.

"It doesn't matter though, does it? We have to see what is in the Royal Garden." Cullen spoke up.

Talyn looked to Solas, who nodded at her. And then she looked to the council. "Solas, Cole, Cassandra and I will see if Florianne is telling the truth. The rest of you, keep an eye on the Empress."

* * *

OMG you guys, I'm so sorry. I was stuck on this chapter for MONTHS. I just couldn't figure out what to do! So, in an effort to cure my writers block, I went back and edited the rest of the story. I didn't change a whole lot, mostly just did some grammar edits and what not so if you don't want to reread the whole thing you don't have to. HOWEVER, there are a few chapters that you should reread because there are some scenes that I completely changed.

chapter seventeen, twenty one and twenty two are the only ones with major scene changes. I might have missed some, but I'm pretty sure that's it.

Thank you guys so much for sticking with me through this bullshit writers block! You guys are awesome!

Your Totally Unreliable Entertainer,

C.J.


	25. Chapter 25

So once more Talyn and her companions explored the forbidden shadows of the castle, sneaking around palace guards and picking locks in order to get to the Royal Wing. There was nothing amiss in the dimly lit halls. There was not a thing out of place, the beds were still made, the fireplaces were empty, and the floors shone under the dimly burning torches.

There was something off, Talyn could feel it. And from the looks on everyone else's faces, they felt it as well.

They searched every room but found nothing. So, they went to the last pair of doors that had to have led out to the garden.

Talyn went to open it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Damn it, it's barred from the other side." She said.

"There has to be another way around." Cassandra stated. "A secret door maybe."

"Cole," Solas spoke to the spirit, "do you think you could look for another entrance to the garden?"

Cole looked to Solas with his glazed over eyes, shook his head yes, and disappeared.

"How does he do that?!" Cassandra exclaimed. "Is he a mage?!"

Talyn hid her smile. She had almost forgotten that Cassandra didn't know his secret.

"I have no idea." Solas replied innocently, but he shared an amused look with Talyn.

They waited for a few minutes for him to return.

When he did, he spoke dreamily, "I found a hidden path in one of the bedrooms."

"Good job, Cole." Talyn praised him.

He led them to a bookcase inside of the bedrooms. He reached over and pulled down a book with pink binding, and she heard her a click. Then there was the sound of stone scraping against stone as a hidden door swung open in the middle of the wall.

"This is strange." Cassandra said.

"Yes, it is." Solas agreed.

Talyn led them down the hallway, which had another set of doors at the end. They stopped in front of the doors, Solas standing next to her.

"Be careful guys, this could be a trap." She said to them.

They pushed the doors open.

And found twenty arrows pointed at them. A green sliver hung in the air between them, illuminating the wilting flowers and twisted trees shedding their red and orange leaves. Talyn heard the doors behind them slam shut.

"Inquisitor! I'm so glad you could join us, I wasn't sure if you were going to make it." Florianne's smug voice rang through the air.

Talyn looked up to the second story deck of the garden and saw the smirking bitch leaning against the railing, resting her head in the palms of her hands.

"You are such a challenge to read, I wasn't certain you'd taken my bait."

Talyn felt the Anchor flare up, the emerald light growing stronger in reaction to the improperly closed rift.

"I had a feeling you were mixed up in this, Florianne." She should have known. Why didn't she just follow what her instincts had been telling her all along? She just walked everyone right into a trap.

"What did Corypheus promise you in return of murdering your cousin and framing your brother?"

Florianne threw her hands up to the sky and laughed. "Power, Inquisitor! What else would grab my attention so? The Elder One had promised me riches and power beyond my imagination once he takes the Black Throne."

She changed the subject. "It was so kind of you to walk so willingly into my trap. I was so tired of your _meddling._ Corypheus said the Empress must die tonight, and I would hate to disappoint him. He will be _most_ appreciative when he hears that I killed you as well."

A sound rang out, like a crack of thunder, and the rift before them opened. Demons oozed out of it like pus from an infected wound.

Talyn looked back up at the deck, but Florianne was gone.

The men who were pointing arrows at them fired, but Solas managed to throw up shields around them before they were hit.

"We have to hurry!" Talyn shouted, throwing one of her daggers at a shade. It hit the demon in the middle of the forehead, and it went down.

The garden was ablaze with Solas' power. Flames shot from his hands, engulfing the armored men that were running at them with swords in their hands. Their agonized screams was enhanced by the growls and roars of the inhuman creatures pouring from the emerald portal.

Talyn started running to the rift. She was down to one dagger, but she made good use of it. She left behind her a trail of bodies with sliced necks and gaping holes in their chests.

She was burning up, the Solas' fire was starting to eat up the dead leaves on the ground and make its way up the trees. Demons kept getting caught in the blaze, their skin bubbling and bursting at the intensity.

"Talyn!" Solas shouted.

Talyn turned just in time to see one of the men about to shove his sword through her. She dodged and drove her dagger into his neck. She tanked it out within a heartbeat and continued with her mission.

Cassandra and Cole were running on either side of her, keeping as many of their enemies off of her as they could. She skidded to a stop in front of the rift and held out her hand, feeling the familiar tugging of the Anchor. With a gesture she had closed, and the pain in her palm resided.

With the rift closed, it was easy to pick off the stragglers. Solas quickly put out the flames with another spell once the last demon had been taken care of.

"We have to save the Empress." Talyn said before taking off.

They raced back to the ballroom, having to stop and fight off small groups of Venatori on their way there.

Cullen met them as they entered the ballroom. He looked shocked at the condition they were all in. Demon and human blood covered Talyn, and her beautiful midnight dress had little tears all over it.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly. "Are you hurt?"

"Wait here while I speak to the Grand Duchess." Talyn told them all.

"What?" Cullen was confused. "There's no time, the Empress is going to start her speech-"

"It's Florianne, Cullen." Cassandra interrupted him. "She's Corypheus' agent."

Cullen was instantly alert. "I'll gather the men."

Talyn saw the Florianne and made her way over to her. The people she passed gawked at her appearance and spoke to each other in panicked whispers.

"We owe the court one more show, Your Grace." Talyn said loudly.

Florianne turned around, the corners of her mouth curved down into a frown. Talyn could see her eyes dart behind her mask, looking for exits.

"Inquisitor." She responded calmly.

Talyn smirked. "We have the eyes of the whole court on us, Your Grace. Remember to smile. This is your party, after all. You wouldn't want them to think you lost control."

She ascended the steps, and Florianne started to back away.

"Who would not be delighted to speak with you, Inquisitor?" Florianne spoke with a nervous tilt to her voice.

Talyn didn't stop walking until she was toe to toe with Florianne. "I seem to recall you saying, "All I need is to keep you out of the ballroom long enough to strike.""

There were several gasps and cries.

Talyn tilted her head to the side, a satisfied grin slowly rising on her lips, and continued to say, "when your archers failed to kill me in the Royal Garden, I was afraid that you wouldn't save me this last dance."

Talyn looked up to the second , whose face was set in stone. Her hard grey eyes were narrowed, and focused entirely on Talyn.

Talyn circled Florianne with her hands behind her back, "you were so close to getting you wanted, Lady Florianne. You probably would have succeeded, if it wasn't for my _meddling._ My, you even framed your own brother for the killing of a noble."

Gaspard shook his head in shame.

"It was such a _brilliant_ plan. Celene, Gaspard, the Council of Heralds… all your enemies underneath one roof.

Florianne burst with laughter. "This is very entertaining, but you do not imagine that anyone believes these wild stories? I am the Grand Duchess, after all."

"That will be a matter for the judge to decide, Cousin." Empress Celene told her in a stone cold voice.

She turned to her brother, desperation seeping into her eyes. "Gaspard? You can't believe this surely, I am your sister! You know I would never-"

"Save it, Florianne." Gaspard dismissed her and walked away.

Two guards stepped forward and grabbed a hold of Florianne. She struggled to get free of their grips, loud sobs tearing through her chest.

Talyn said, "You lost this fight ages ago, Your Grace. You were just the last one to know."

"Gaspard! Gaspard, don't do this!" She cried out while they dragged her away.

Then the night continued as if nothing happened. The music played, the drinks were poured, and everyone danced in celebration of the thwarted assassination, and the new alliance between the Empire and the Inquisition, which Celine had pledged to in front of the whole court a few moments after Florianne was dragged away.

Talyn slipped away from the party and went out into the courtyard with a glass of champagne in her hand. She kicked off her shoes and stuck her feet in the fountain, splashing the water around while she sipped on her champagne.

She felt a drop of rain land on top of her head. When she looked up, she saw that black rain clouds had covered the moon. She laughed when the rain started to pour, soaking her hair and dress in seconds. It washed away the evidence of the battles she had fought today.

"Having fun?" Solas asked her. He was standing in the fountain with her, a teasing grin on his face.

She smiled back at him and lifted her face to the sky. "I love the way it feels on my skin." She had to shout over the rain that pounded into the earth.

Solas walked over to her and took her hands. "Dance with me."

When Talyn looked at his face again, his eyes were glowing the way they did in the Fade. Those liquid silver orbs stared at her with such love and adoration it made Talyn's heart flutter in her ribcage.

"Always." She replied.

The two of them danced in the fountain, with the pitter patter of the rain as their music. Talyn had never felt this light before, not in the waking world. Her tattoos shone with her joy, illuminating the water all around them. They never took their eyes off of each other, even when Solas stopped their dancing.

Then he crushed his lips to hers.

Talyn was stunned for a second, but then she melted into his arms. Her arms went around his neck, and one of his hands slid up her back into her hair. He lightly nipped at her lower lip, and she parted them. his tongue invaded her mouth, and growl rumbled in his chest. Talyn jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist, and he pressed her against the statue in the middle of the fountain. The cold stone bit her skin through the sheer, wet material of her dress.

Solas moved from her mouth to her neck, giving her a chance to catch her breath. He left little kisses on her collarbone, and a moan slipped from her lips when he lightly bit her skin. She shivered when his hands ran up her legs, underneath her dress.

"Solas," she breathed, "not here."

"Why not?" Solas purred against her skin.

"Because we're in Empress Celine's fountain."

He laughed softly and lifted his head to stare into her eyes.

"You and I are the only people in this world who matter."

Warmth pooled between her legs at his words, and her voice trembled with need. "Let's go back to the inn."

Screw this party. Talyn just wanted to be with Solas.

Solas adjusted his grip on her and swiftly carried her out of the fountain. "Your wish is my command, _ma vhenan."_

* * *

YES. Solas and Talyn are finally together, and I FINISHED THE GOD DAMN WINTER PALACE. When I started this particular part of the story I had no idea how long and grueling of a process it was going to be. To be honest, I thought that this was going to be pretty easy and fun to write, since it was a ball and all. But it has left me with nothing but months of miserable writers block and I am SO GLAD that I pushed through it lol. The next upcoming chapters should take less time to write. I so hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter! Let me know how you think of the story so far!

C.J.


	26. Chapter 26

The morning light streamed through the small window, right in Talyn's eyes. She squeezed her eyes more tightly and rolled onto her stomach, sticking her arms underneath the pillow with her head in the opposite direction of the sunlight. She felt someone brush the pale strands of her hair that were in her face, and she felt a kiss on her shoulder.

"You should wake up, _vhenan_." Solas spoke, his voice caressing her name.

Talyn groaned and threw the pillow over her head.

Solas laughed. "I never thought I'd see the day where you _didn't_ want to get out of bed."

"It's your fault." Talyn accused him, her voice muffled. "I didn't get any sleep last night."

Solas rubbed her back comfortingly and replied sarcastically, "you poor, unfortunate thing. It's not as if _you're_ the one who won't sleep in her own bed."

Talyn threw the pillow off her head and lifted herself to her elbows. She twisted her neck so she could glare at Solas. "As I seem to recall, it was _you_ who refused to let me leave."

She imitated him, "stay, _vhenan._ I want to sleep with you in my arms."

She rolled over and dramatically threw her arm across her eyes. "As if I could have denied _that."_

Without another word, Solas moved so that he was hovering over Talyn, and moved her arm off of her face. His eyes roamed her body possessively, taking in every detail. Watching him stare at her like that was enough to make her never want to leave his bed.

When his eyes met hers again, he leaned down and kissed her so slow and sweetly it made Talyn dizzy. Then his lips moved to her neck, and trailed down her bare skin.

"I know what will wake you up." His voice was husky, and full of promise.

Talyn's breath hitched, and she watched his head go lower.

An hour later, Talyn was dressed in her ebony armor and sitting on the wolf throne. She was waiting for Grand Duchess Florianne to be brought in to decide her punishment for attempting to commit treason. Empress Celine had thought that it was only fair that the Inquisition was responsible for her, since she was an agent of Corypheus.

After explaining the war that was to come to Celine, she graciously agreed to help provide supplies and soldiers for their cause. She even sent her "occult adviser", Morrigan the Apostate, to assist. Talyn hadn't seen much of her, not since they had arrived back at Skyhold, but she already knew that the two of them were going to hate each other. She had an air of arrogance about her that she hadn't earned, and Talyn didn't need her. Solas was far more a superior mage than she was. Talyn had only accepted Morrigan's help because, well, she had no choice. To refuse a gift from the Empress would have been a bad idea.

Solas was with her on the dais, standing behind the throne with his staff in his hand. On the other side of her was Cassandra. In the crowd she could see several Orlesians, their faces unreadable beneath those ridiculous masks.

The doors creaked open, and Florianne was led down the red carpet, her face smeared with dirt and her short hair darker than it's original blond. She had cuts and bruises all over her skin that weren't covered by the prison rags she was wearing. She stumbled and fell to her knees multiple times, and the guards who were escorting her had to lift her to her feet. They weren't gentle about it.

They shoved her to the ground at Talyn's feet, and Josephine read from a piece of parchment.

"Grand Duchess Florianne, accused of committing treason, espionage, murder, attempted assassination and attempted murder. Your murder. How do you wish to proceed?"

Talyn stared down at Florianne. "Florianne, it's not too late to do the right thing."

She barked out a humorless laugh. "And what would you have me do to clear my sins? Beg and grovel at your feet?"

"Tell us what Corypheus is planning, Florianne. You were one of his agents, there must be something you know."

It was a long shot, Talyn knew that. She had never liked Florianne. But she had to try at the very least.

Florianne laughed hysterically. "You want to know what The Elder One is going to do next, is that it?"

She struggled to her feet. "You're going to die, Inquisitor Talyn. You, and every single person in Thedas."

She laughed hysterically once more. Talyn shook her head in shame, and with a sigh she spoke over Florianne's cackling. "Grand Duchess Florianne de Chalons, for your crimes against the people of Thedas, you will be sentenced to death."

The Orlesians cheers and clapped as Florianne was shoved out of the room by the guards. Then they also started to file out of the room.

When it was empty, except for her and Solas and a few servants that were dusting, she stood up and turned to him.

"You think I made the right call?" She asked him worriedly.

Solas nodded solemnly. "Florianne is unstable. She would only have caused more harm."

"Inquisitor!" A servant ran up to her, and in between ragged breaths he said, "Varric is back. He said to meet him on the wall."

Talyn and Solas shared a look, and then the two of them quickly left the main hall.

They went up to the wall, exactly where the servant told them to go. The clouds were covering the sun today, threatening to unleash snow on Skyhold. And there, she saw Varric with his hairy chest and his crossbow, and two people who towered over him. One of them was a human with dark brown hair and blood red paint that went across his face. A giant sword similar to Iron Bull's was draped across his back, and bracelet made with black leather threaded through bones was tied to his wrist.

A matching bracelet was one the other one standing with Varric, an elf. All Talyn saw was his snow white hair until he turned around. That was when she stared a little too intensely.

His tanned skin was marred by bright lines the same color as his hair. She saw them run up his arms into his armor, and up his throat to his chin. They were different than Talyn's own tattoos. His were just straight lines that ended at his chin. Hers were more artistic, as if someone had taken the time to make each swirl that framed her face, down to the ones that wrapped around each individual finger, and they were the same sky blue as her eyes, not white. But there was no mistaking what they were. Lyrium tattoos.

He had a hard look in his black eyes, a look that Talyn found herself relating to. His eyes narrowed when he saw Solas' staff, and a silent snarl lifted his upper lip. The human grabbed his arm, as if to remind him to behave. The elf then saw Talyn, and he stared at her, his eyes tracing the markings similar to his own.

"Firefly, glad you made it." Varric grinned up at her. He didn't look any worse for wear, although his clothes had dirt caked to them. Wherever he had been, it had been raining. There was a cut on his cheek, but that was it. Talyn was glad her friend wasn't seriously harmed on his journey.

"And Baldy too, that's just great."

"Who are you?" She asked the elf in front of her.

"I'm Hawke, and this is Fenris." The human stepped forward.

"And you are the Inquisitor of the Inquisition." Fenris' gravelly voice rumbled in his chest.

"Fenris. Varric told me about you." She said, completely ignoring Hawke.

"Firefly, Hawke and Fenris are the ones I told you about."

Varric was the one who brought Talyn back to the situation at hand. She finally turned her attention to Hawke. Hawke assessed her as well, but for a different reason. She couldn't be sure, but the human in front of her almost looked… _jealous._

"So, it is true? You've fought Corypheus before?" Solas inquired.

"Fought and _killed_." Hawke answered. "The Wardens had him chained up. He somehow used his connection to the darkspawn to influence them."

"Corypheus got into their heads and turned them against one another." Fenris explained.

Talyn frowned. "Leiliana's spies have confirmed that the Wardens have disappeared. Could it be Corypheus?"

"It is possible they could have fallen under his control again." Hawke confirmed.

Talyn sighed. "So Corypheus has the Venatori, the Red Templars, and now possibly the Wardens? Fantastic."

"I've got a friend in the Wardens. He was investigating something unrelated for me." Hawke started to pace. "His name is Stroud. The last time we spoke he talked about corruption in the Warden ranks. Since then, nothing."

"Corypheus would certainly qualify as corruption within the ranks." Varric said. "Did your friend disappear with them?"

Fenris said, "no. He told us he was hiding in an old smugglers cave near Crestwood."

"You should sit this one out, Firefly." Varric suggested.

Talyn frowned. "Why?"

"Stroud isn't trusting of strangers. Varric and I will find him and bring him back here." Hawke explained.

Fenris' turned his permanent glare to Hawke. It seemed that he didn't know he would be staying behind.

"You should stay. We've just returned from Orlais, Skyhold needs it's Inquisitor." Solas spoke quietly in her ear.

Talyn hesitated. She was the Inquisitor, she should be going on this mission herself. But Solas did have a point. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"Alright, fine. I'll stay, but you better come back in one piece."

"We will, and we'll have Stroud with us." Varric reassured her.

So, Talyn stayed behind. She watched Varric and Hawke leave through the gate with a restlessness in her heart. She knew that it was right for her to stay, but at the same time, she wished that she had went with them. Fenris had also stayed behind, although Talyn didn't know why. He didn't seem happy about it, since he stared after them the same way she did.

"Why aren't you going with them?" She asked him.

"I was injured on our way here. Bandits." Fenris rolled his eyes. "Hawke doesn't want me to push myself."

Talyn snorted. "Such a typical man."

Fenris' dark eyes danced with amusement. "It sounds like you know the type."

"Oh, absolutely. Mine yelled at me for saving the people of Haven."

"Hawke was furious with me when I went into a slavers camp by myself."

Talyn sighed. "They will always worry about us, unfortunately."

Talyn felt so elated complaining about Solas like they were a normal couple. For one brief moment, she wasn't the Herald of Andraste and the Inquisitor, but a completely normal woman with an overprotective lover. It felt nice to feel like that for a brief moment.

"They have no need to. Our… condition makes us strong."

And then reality set back in. "Yes, it does."

They started to walk.

"Do your hands catch on fire?" She asked him.

He frowned in confusion. "Fire?"

"Like Fade light."

He shook his head. "Your hands catch on fire. From the lyrium."

Talyn nodded. "Yes. It usually happens when my emotions are high, and in battle. Sometimes it affects my weapons. Or they'll glow."

Fenris' face grew dark. "In Tevinter, my former master branded me as an experiment. He wanted a _pet_ that would terrify his enemies and allies alike. It made me stronger, and faster. I can hear a drop of water a mile away. But no, my markings don't create fire, or glow."

Talyn stared at the ground. "I don't remember how I got mine. I don't remember anything before I woke up with this." She held up her left hand. "I'm completely clueless as to why I have these. Or why they make me able to do the things I can do."

"That was what it was like for me, when my former master put these in my skin. The pain was excruciating enough to erase my memories."

They ended up in the garden. They brushed the snow off of a stone bench and sat down.

Talyn felt pity for Fenris. "That's so… sad, Fenris. I'm sorry you had to suffer such a fate."

To be in such agonizing pain that your memories flee you… that was a pain that Talyn had yet to endure.

"Don't pity me." Fenris snapped at her. "You and I aren't the kind that need sympathy."

She looked up at the grey sky. "You're right, we aren't."

There was an awkward silence. It lasted for awhile before Fenris broke it. "Hawke made me remember my past. Maybe your lover will do the same."

Talyn smiled. "He would give me the world if I asked for it."

"For what it's worth, whoever gave you your marks seems to be more skilled than my former master."

Talyn was confused. "What do you mean?"

Fenris shrugged. "Mine are crude, hastily done. Whatever mage did yours took their time."

She stood to her feet. "Thank you, Fenris. Make yourself at home here, Skyhold is open to you."

Talyn left Fenris for the library. She wanted to see if there was anything on magical amnesia. The hooting of the birds above them and the turning of pages were the only sounds within the circular room. Fenris had left her much to ponder.

From what Varric had told her about Fenris, his former master had been a Tevinter Magister, a powerful mage. How could it be possible that whatever mage branded Talyn was more powerful than that? Why did her markings look different than his? He too had lost his memories, but he said Hawke had triggered them. Talyn thought back to when Solas was telling her about the vandalized mural, the way her head hurt and those voices shouted in her head. Maybe he was the key to all of this.

She was trying to find a way to answer all of her questions, but there was nothing on the shelves that was remotely useful. Whatever books she did manage to find had nothing on what the magical causes could be for losing your memory, other than blood magic. But Talyn thought that was a little obvious in her case, since the lyrium had been able to fuse with her all the way down to her blood.

She was so engrossed in what she was doing, that she didn't notice when someone sat across the table from her. Not until there was a cough.

She jumped and looked up to see Dorian twisting an end of his mustache between his fingers, a smirk on his face.

"Doing a little light reading, are we?" He said, nudging one of the books in front of her with a foot he had propped up on the table.

Talyn shut the book. "And to what do I owe the pleasure, Dorian?"

She hadn't seen much of Dorian. She had to admit that she was happy to see him.

"A little bird told me that you and Mr. Know-It-All have been going at it like jack rabbits." Dorian told her, that smirk still on his face.

Talyn's face turned beet red. "That is absolutely none of your business, Dorian."

Dorian leaned forward, intense curiosity on his tanned face. "Oh, come on Talyn. Can you at least tell me how big his little staff is? I've been so curious." He winked at her.

Talyn stood to her feet. "Okay, this conversation is officially over."

She walked away, but Dorian followed her. "Seriously, if you can get past his egotistical attitude, there is something just so _sexy_ about that elf. I'm jealous you grabbed him before I could."

"Excuse me, aren't you with Bull?" Talyn blurted out, saying anything she could to change the subject.

"It is a tragedy, loving that thick-headed man. He can be _so_ stubborn." Dorian sighed.

"How is he?" Talyn asked him, averting her eyes.

"He's doing alright. Spends all his time in the tavern with his Chargers, but that's nothing new."

"He hates me, doesn't he?" Just asking the question sent pain through Talyn.

Dorian took a minute to form his answer. "I think he hates himself, and you're just conveniently easy to blame."

"I miss him. There's so much I wish I could tell him."

Iron Bull would have been the first to know about Solas. She wanted to talk to him about Fenris and his lyrium tattoos, and her strange dreams. She wanted to sit by the fire and laugh with him again. Her heart ached for her best friend.

Dorian patted her shoulder. "He misses you too, Talyn."

Talyn shook off her sadness before it could show on her face.

Dorian changed the subject with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "So, be honest with me. Is he any good? 'Cause he _must_ be good from the reports I've been getting from the servants about your volume-"

Talyn snorted. "Okay, I'll see you later."

Dorian was trying to contain his laughter. "But wait, Talyn, I really want to know!"

"Fuck off, you perv!" She shouted good-naturedly over her shoulder, which got her a few angry glares and a chorus of "shhh!"'s from the others.

She went about the rest of her day as normal. She checked on the council, went around the grounds to make sure everything was going well. She ran into Fenris again, who was speaking with Cullen. Ever since the Winter Palace, Cullen had been awkward around her. Almost shy, like the way he had been with those other women at the party. It made her awkward in return. He had called her the most beautiful woman at the ball. And she was with Solas now.

So, they greeted each other, and Talyn walked as fast from the situation as she possibly could. Fenris seemed to be in good hands.

That night, she was laying in Solas' bed with her head on his chest. The blankets had been tossed to the floor, and there was a thin sheet of sweat over both of their naked bodies. The light from the Fade light torch cast a colorful shadow across the nearly empty room, and made the stone in his staff shine. She was playing with the jawbone that was always hanging around Solas' neck.

"Why do you wear this?" She asked him.

He looked down at the necklace and tightened his arm around her. "It was a gift."

"From who?"

"A woman from long ago."

Talyn couldn't help the spasm of jealousy that she felt. Solas must have sensed it, because he chuckled.

"You don't need to worry about her." He reassured her.

"Why did she give you a jaw bone?"

"She was angry with me. She tore it off of a bear she had killed and threw it at me."

Talyn raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. "So your wearing an animal bone around your neck because an angry woman threw it at you?"

"I'm wearing it because it was one of the most important moments of my life, and it reminds me of what I have lost."

Talyn sat up and leaned on one of her arms. She drew invisible circles on his skin with her free hand, and she kept her eyes on them.

"Why don't you talk about your past?"

Solas was watching her, she could feel his eyes on her through the curtain of her hair. He brushed her hair over her shoulder, so he could see her face, and put his fingers under her chin, turning her head to look at him. His face was filled with gentle concern.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because since I first saw you, when you showed me how to close that first rift, I've felt this connection to you. Like I've known you my whole life." She looked down again. " _Ar lath ma,_ Solas. I feel like I've always loved you. But I don't know anything about you."

"You know everything you need to." He said.

"I don't know about what you've done in the past though, Solas! I don't know even know if you have any family, or friends, you won't even tell me the name of the woman who gave you that jaw bone." She sighed.

He sat up as well, his liquid silver eyes full of certainty that Talyn didn't have. He grabbed hold of her hand and brought it to his lips.

"You are my _alas'en_ , Talyn. You are all I have, and all I want. Isn't that enough?"

Talyn rested her hand against his cheek. "Please, Solas. I know you don't like to talk about it, but can you tell me _something?"_

He sighed, and dropped back down onto the bed, pulling Talyn with him. She rested her head on his shoulder and waited patiently.

"I grew up in a small village to the north. I had no family and no home, just my magic. I used to sleep in a cave near the village, and that was where I taught myself how to use magic. I had no one, so I started conversing with spirits. That was where my interest in the Fade grew. One day someone had picked my pocket, and I used my magic to stop him. Another mage saw this, and she was impressed with me. So, she took me in."

"What was her name?" Talyn asked.

"Flemeth. She taught me everything she knew."

"What happened to your parents?"

"They died when I was young. I don't remember them."

Talyn was quiet, contemplating this information. Her heart ached for the lonely, scared boy Solas had to have been. He had been all alone in the world, having to fend for himself and hide from the Templars who would have taken him to a Circle.

"Are you satisfied?" He asked her.

"No. Tell me one more thing about you."

"So demanding," he teased. He ran his hand up and down her arm slowly as he spoke again, this time in a more serious, melancholy voice. "I was in a war. Two, officially."

Talyn snapped her head up at that, sympathy coating her voice. "How bad were they?"

The pain on Solas' face and in his words was enough to end the conversation. "I don't like to talk about it."

Talyn laid her head on his shoulder again and kissed the curve of his neck. "I'm sorry I made you bring it up."

He didn't respond to her. They laid there for awhile, long enough for Solas' breathing to slow and even out.

But Talyn wasn't ready to sleep yet. She bit her lip while she watched him sleep, contemplating whether or not she should continue to pester him with her questions.

"I can hear the gears in your mind turning, _vhenan_." Solas' voice was thick with amusement and sleep. "Ask your question."

"How does it work, Fade Walking?"

He sighed. "I thought I already explained it to you."

"Well, yes, I know that you can delve into the past of ancient places that you sleep in. But you can manipulate dreams as well, right?"

"Yes, I can."

"Could you… maybe Fade Walk into my memories?"

He opened his eyes at that question. He turned to look at her. "I've already tried."

Talyn blinked. "Really?"

He smiled lovingly at her. "I've been watching your dreams since the day you woke up. I can't break past whatever it is that has your memory locked away."

Talyn blushed. If that was true, then he saw her nightmares about the red head. She hadn't had a nightmare about her since they've been back from Orlais. In fact, any dreams that she did remember had made her happy instead of terrified, especially when Solas entered them.

"You've been changing my dreams so I don't have that nightmare." She stated.

"Yes." He answered honestly.

Talyn rolled over so she wasn't facing him and hid her face in the pillow, her face was throbbing with embarrassment. She reached down on the floor and pulled the blankets over her so they were covering her from head to toe.

"Talyn, what's wrong?" Solas had went under the blanket as well. He slid an arm over her waist and pulled her close so her back was touching his chest.

"It's just embarrassing." She mumbled.

How many humiliating things has Solas seen without her knowledge? Aside from her running stupidly into that woman's arms every time, feeling so happy and in love with her before she stabs Talyn in the back and burns the world around them. Not to mention she had already _told_ Solas about her, and he had acted like he hadn't known.

"Talyn, your ridiculous." Solas sighed.

Talyn didn't respond. She just closed her eyes and settled into her position to sleep. She was definitely done talking now.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed. It's a dream manifested from your subconscious." He started to stroke her side comfortingly. "I love to watch your dreams. I've never met a more vivid dreamer than you." He moved her hair from her neck and kissed her.

"You're so happy and free." He kissed her shoulder.

She ignored him.

His hand ran down her side and stopped at her hip as he planted another kiss on her body. "I like seeing that side of you."

She was entirely focused on the hand on her hip, and the kisses on her neck and shoulder.

"I don't enjoy seeing you afraid, or in pain. So yes, I change your dreams when you have that nightmare. But we all have them. It's nothing to be ashamed about."

Still, nothing went past her lips.

"Forgive me?" His voice was soft and pleading. "Please?"

Solas _never_ said please. It made her smile. She reached for the hand on her hip and intertwined their fingers.

"Show me the Fade through your eyes. Maybe I'll forgive you then."


	27. Chapter 27

_She was standing in Solas' room, the one that branched off from his study. But it looked different. There was that strange colorful haze that felt cool against her skin, but through the haze she saw crates and barrels in the room instead of Solas' small bed and dresser. His staff wasn't leaning against the wall where it usually was, and cobwebs adorned each corner of the room._

 _Talyn spun around, assessing her surroundings._

 _"Strange, isn't it?" Solas said from behind her._

 _She jumped and whirled around to see his smiling face. Talyn could feel the power rolling off of him, even from where she was standing. It formed goosebumps on her arms._

 _"Where are we?" She asked._

 _He leaned on his staff, and said teasingly, "you told me to show you the Fade. So here we are."_

 _Talyn grinned, excitement making her limbs shaking with energy. "What year is it?"_

 _Solas walked out of the room, and Talyn followed. There was nothing in the study except for furniture covered with thin sheets. It was so strange not to see Solas' unfinished mural on the walls, and his desk that sat in the middle of the room._

 _"Skyhold has been around since Arlathan." He said to her._

 _"Arlathan?" The famed capital of Elvhenan. It had been destroyed by the Tevinter Imperium far before Talyn had been born._

 _She followed Solas through a hallway that led to the main hall, where the sounds of celebration rang in her ears._

 _The main hall was lit with thousands of tiny lights hanging from the ceiling, as if they had pulled down the very stars to light the room. Vines were growing from the floor, sneaking their way up the walls, their leaves sticking straight out, as if they were carved from stone. Glasses were set on the leaves, while food was served by men and women wearing black uniforms, their hair tied back to reveal pieces of red paper pierced to their pointed ears._

 _It wasn't the vines or the stars, or the fact that every single person was an elf that made Talyn jump with excitement. It was the fact that hovering above them in the air were people dancing. Some invisible force kept them above the crowd of people, and they jumped and spun around with no fear of falling to the ground._

 _"Oh, Solas, that is amazing." She breathed._

 _Then she turned and looked down the end of the hall, where the wolf throne was still sitting. A second one was by his side, and they were both occupied. One was wearing a skin-tight powder blue gown, her blond hair tied into two long braids, and the other had long black hair that fell to his waist in dreads. They were holding hands, and from the way their bodies shook, they were laughing._

 _But Talyn frowned. It was when she saw the two people sitting on the thrones that she noticed one thing that was off. She couldn't see their faces. They were blank, just like the faces scratched out in that mural Solas had shown her._

 _"Why can't I see their faces?" She asked Solas._

 _"You're not skilled in this. The older the memory is, the more likely you'll be missing some details." Solas explained._

 _Talyn made a small "hmmm" noise in response. She looked back up at the people dancing in the air._

 _"Can we do that?" She asked._

 _Solas pulled her to him wordlessly, and they ascended into the air._

 _Talyn laughed and clung to him, afraid that if she let go she would fall back to the floor. She watched the people below them, wondering what would happen if she swung her leg. Would someone get hit in the head?_

 _"How?" She turned her gaze back to him._

 _Solas smiled. "In the days where Elvhenan still stood, magic was limitless. Anything was possible."_

 _They danced to the beat of the drums, the primordial music filling Talyn with a primal energy she hadn't felt before. Her body moved of its own accord, as if she had done this dance a thousand times. All around her she could see the faceless elves moving their bodies in the same way, grinding against each other, their limbs tangling in a way that almost looked like sex._

 _The people threw their heads back and howled, their chorus made her shiver. Solas leaned his head back and howled with them, the beautiful note rising high above the others. Talyn found herself following his lead and letting out a howl of her own. They descended back to the ground, where Talyn found her legs suddenly feeling like weights were tied around her ankles. She was breathing hard, she could feel the sweat on her brow._

 _"What was that?" Talyn asked in a breathless voice._

 _"The Dance of Wolves." Solas was beaming, his eyes shining like a star._

 _He grabbed her hand. "Follow me."_

 _She let him lead her through the people. She nearly screamed when she saw that Solas was literally walking right through them, but then he pulled her outside._

 _There were more elves in the courtyard, dancing around a blazing fire. It was so tall that it's grey smoke blocked out the very stars, and Talyn could feel it's heat from where they were standing on the steps. There was shapes in the fire, like moving pictures within it's red and orange flames. She could make out a man and a woman._

 _"Solas, what's in the fire?"_

 _"They're celebrating a wedding."_

 _Solas was dismissive about the fire, but Talyn was hypnotized by the moving man and woman in the flames. She would have stayed to watch it, but Solas was pulling her away from the festivities, away from everyone, and led her to the stables._

 _Talyn didn't question him, but she was unsure of why he was bringing her to see horses._

 _When he led her through the doors, her unspoken questions were answered. She let out a shocked, wordless sound at the sight before her._

 _A massive creature stared her down in the middle of the stable. It had the head of a bird, it's powerful hooked beak opening and closing soundlessly. It's feathers were just as gold as the feline body is was attached to, along with the long, elegant wings it stretched out. It's feet had the paws of a cat and the ivory talons of a hawk. A loud, menacing sound came from the creature. It wasn't the chirp of a bird, but some predatory roar that made the hair on her arms stand up._

 _"Oh, Creators, he's beautiful." Talyn whispered._

 _A griffon. This was an actual griffon._

 _"She, actually. The males aren't as bright of a gold." Solas corrected her._

 _He was watching her, she could feel his eyes on her. She stepped forward and held her hand out to the gorgeous beast. The griffon didn't notice when she stroked the feathers on her face. Talyn pulled her hand back immediately when the griffon swung its giant head to look behind her._

 _"Does she see me?"_

 _Solas chuckled. "No, she doesn't. But she might feel you. Animals are more perceptive than people."_

 _She felt his hand on the small of her back. "Would you like to ride her?"_

 _Talyn looked behind her at Solas, her eyes wide with anticipation. "Oh, yes, please let me ride the griffon."_

 _He pulled her to the side of the griffon, where there was already an ebony saddle sitting on her back._

 _"After you, vhenan."_

 _Talyn climbed into the saddle, and Solas climbed in it behind her._

 _"What are we waiting for?"_

 _Just then, the man and woman who had been sitting on the thrones came running in, their hands still clasped together. They were laughing in whispers, looking behind them as if they weren't supposed to be in there._

 _"Hurry, before they find us!" The woman rushed her lover._

 _"Relax, ma'alas'en. We'll be off the ground before they know we're gone."_

 _Their voices… they were so familiar. It hurt Talyn's head to try to think about where she'd heard them._

 _Talyn tensed when they climbed into the saddle, yet she felt nothing but a cold wind. The woman went on the saddle first, just as Talyn had done, and the man was behind her. Solas' arms went around her._

 _"Brace yourself, wife." His voice echoed with the midnight haired man's._

 _"I think I know how to ride a griffon, husband." Talyn found her own voice echoing the woman's._

 _With another shrieking roar, the griffon spread her wings and went up into the sky through a hole in the roof. Talyn screamed in delight, and Solas joined her._

 _The wind stung Talyn's cheeks and blew her hair back from her face. The griffon was moving so fast she felt like her breath was being stolen from her lungs. She held out her arms on either side of her and shouted, "I'm flying!"_

 _She turned and looked back at Solas, then twisted her body so she could reach him-_

It felt like Talyn's soul had been slammed back into her body. She bolted upright, pulling the blanket off of her face. She touched her cheeks, half expecting them to be frozen. She was panting, as if she truly had the breath stolen from her lungs. Solas sat up slowly beside her, and he rubbed her back.

"What was that?" She gasped in between breaths.

"The griffon flew away from Skyhold, so the memory was cut off."

"That was insane."

She could still feel the feathers of the griffon in her hands, she could still smell the alcohol and hear the music and feel the heat from that massive bonfire.

"You can see that whenever you fall asleep?"

He laughed. "Yes, whenever I want to."

She laid back down, and so did he. "That's incredible."

He smiled. "I know."

"Show me again."

A week went by with no word from Hawke and Varric. Talyn was getting impatient, and she was second guessing her decision to let Varric handle it without her. She forced herself to keep busy so that she wouldn't worry about the dwarf. When she wasn't handling the affairs of Skyhold, she was with Solas. And if she wasn't with Solas, she was training in the courtyard with the soldiers.

She started helping Cullen train the new recruits. It had been the first time since they got back from Orlais that they had a real conversation, aside from the council meetings. Cullen had approached her and asked if she wanted to assist, since the largest wave of recruits they had ever received had just marched through the gates. Most of them were young men or seasoned soldiers from Orlais, but every single one of them had to be trained how to stand their ground with a red Templar.

Talyn, with her super elvhen abilities, was the closest thing to a red Templar. So, she agreed to teach them.

It was snowing, the large, fluffy snowflakes clung to her armor and was shaken off by her movements. The dummy-slash-recruit in front of her also had snow sticking to him, it flattened down his hair and dripped water into his eyes, forcing him to squint. He wasn't fairing so well in this particular sparring session.

To be fair, Talyn wasn't exactly going easy on him either. Her frustration brought out the light in her tattoos, and she moved faster than the man could think. They had been going at it for twenty minutes now, and all he had been able to do was block her attacks, which was a feat in itself.

Finally, he fell onto the snowy ground and held up his fingers in forfeit.

Talyn drove her sword into the hard ground, the force of her strength made half of the blade sink into the earth.

"Go on, get some water." She told him.

The man nodded and scrambled to get off of the ground. She watched him limp away, and then she addressed the other recruits that were standing in a line watching her.

"You are not fighting men!" She shouted. "You are fighting demons, and monsters. They do not stop to rest, they do not falter when they are injured. More than likely, it will take more than one of you to take only one of them down."

She started to walk back and forth down the line, her hands behind her back. "That doesn't mean that we are doomed to fail. All it means is that we have to work harder, we have to push ourselves, we have to _pay attention._ " Her last words were directed at one of the younger women who was picking dirt out of her nails with a knife. The woman immediately straightened her posture and looked ahead.

"Giving up is not an option. Slacking off with your training is _not an option._ We are protecting all of Thedas. If we fall, Thedas will fall. Your families will burn under Corypheus' red armies. They will be tortured, infected with the red disease, and then tossed aside like garbage. Because to Corypheus, that is all we are. Insects to be controlled and used as he pleases. Remember that."

"Yes, Inquisitor." They said to her at the same time.

"Borin, Kingsley." Talyn motioned with her fingers for the two men to step forward.

"Why don't you give them a _real_ demonstration, Inquisitor?" Fenris' deep, gravelly voice came from the very end of the line.

Talyn looked and saw Fenris there with his unsmiling face, yet a challenge was shining in his eyes. He already had his sword unsheathed, the tip of it stabbing into the frozen ground. Like Talyn, he wasn't wearing a cloak.

She grinned. "I thought you were injured, Fenris. Wouldn't Hawke be upset?"

"Are you going to tell on me?" He looked at her, and then at the recruits.

There was a wave of no's that they uttered, and Talyn laughed. She went back to her sword and pulled it from the earth.

"Alright then."

Fenris stepped forward, lifting his long, deadly looking sword.

Her and Fenris circled each other, sizing one another up. Fenris was the first one to attack. Talyn moved out of the way but felt the tip of his sword scrape against the side of her armor. That made her burst with laughter. It taught her not to underestimate him.

She spent the next few minutes testing out his style, how to best beat him. He didn't land another blow on her, and she didn't get a chance to hit him. She dodged his attacks, leaping this way and that with light feet. She tapped the tip of his sword, which made him lunge. She went to parry, and then dipped under his sword to tap the broad, flat side of her blade against his side.

Fenris, one. Talyn, one.

Fenris came after her, driving his sword down on to her over and over, leaving her barely enough time to block it. He was backing her into the wall where the wooden dummies filled with straw were standing. An idea lit up like a fire in her head, and she continued to let him drive her back into the wall where she could be cornered.

The recruits watching started to cheer them on, and more voices were joining in.

When she felt one of the arms of the dummies stab her shoulder she ducked behind it. Fenris' sword came down on the dummy, nearly splitting it in two. She jabbed her sword, which made him leap back, giving her ample space to carry out her idea. Her tattoos lit up as she bent down and gripped the base of the dummy. She tore it out of the earth, black dirt and snow flying in every direction, and with all her might she threw it at Fenris.

She had moved so quickly that Fenris didn't have any time to react. The dummy went zooming right towards him, hitting him square in the chest and throwing him back on the ground a few feet away.

A chorus of shouts started up around them.

"HOLY SHIT!" She heard one of the recruits cry out.

Fenris jumped back to his feet in a split second and came running at her. She did the move again, but this time Fenris was ready for it. He sliced the wooden dummy in half before it hit him.

Talyn held onto one of the other dummies with her free hand. She jumped into the air and did a semi circle to gain the momentum she needed to slam her foot into his chest. It stunned him, but he recovered within seconds and swung his blade.

Talyn blocked it.

"So, what will happen when I win, Inquisitor?" Fenris asked. His face was still set in that grim expression, but his voice and his eyes were smiling.

"When _I_ win, you mean?" Talyn laughed. "You're going to owe me a drink!"

Fenris' markings were shining blue with the lyrium. He wasn't holding back anymore, and neither was Talyn. They locked their blades, and with a quick fluid motion Fenris had punched a spiked, armored hand right into her face.

She stumbled back, temporarily stunned. She ducked and rolled out of the way of his blade, holding onto her nose. Warm liquid was dripping down her lips, and by the stinging pain she felt, it was definitely broken. But at least she wasn't cornered into the wall anymore. Now Fenris was.

There was another chorus of "ooohs" that came from the crowd that just kept growing. It reminded Talyn of when she sparred with Cole, how the whole crowd was taking bets on who would win.

"You're gonna pay for that, Fenris!" Her voice sounded strange from the broken nose. She got back on her feet and ran towards him.

But Fenris wasn't holding up his sword. He was just standing there, slightly bent over, his hand on his belly. Talyn stopped, concern washing over her now. He did tell her that he had been injured, and that was why Hawke wanted him to stay behind.

"Fenris, are you alright?" She asked.

Fenris stood upright, a smirk on his face and the tip of his sword pointed lightly touching Talyn's throat.

She grinned. "Cheater."

"You still owe me a drink." He coughed.

He did look pale, and there was a fine sheen of sweat on his face, but Talyn couldn't tell if that was from their sparring or if he was actually hurt.

"You really don't look good, Fenris."

"There is a chance that my stitches were ripped."

As if to prove his theory, Talyn noticed blood dripping from underneath his armor onto the snow.

"DeLuca, take over." She barked a command to one of the veteran soldiers standing by. She put an arm around Fenris and pulled one of his over her shoulder.

"Let's get you to a healer."

"No mages." Fenris ordered.

Talyn frowned. "What?"

"I don't want a mage to heal me!" His voice was almost a growl.

"Okay, okay. No mages. Just don't die on me, I kind of need you and Hawke to save the world."

So Talyn brought him to one of the non-magic healers in the infirmary and laid him down on a cot. The healer offered to fix her nose, but she refused. She would rather have Solas do it for her.

And that is exactly what she did.

"So, Fenris broke your nose?" Solas held his hand over her face, and a warm light emitted from his palm. Talyn winced at the cracking pain of her nose realigning with her face, but then the pain slowly faded away.

"If it's any consolation, his stitches ripped open. He looked in a lot worse shape than me."

"I still want to cause him pain." He said darkly.

She put her hands on his cheeks and brought his face to hers for a kiss.

"Don't." She said when it was over. "He was just helping me train the recruits. We got a little too into it."

"A little too into it?" He quoted with a raised eyebrow.

Talyn rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder. "For Mythal's sake, Solas, you know what I meant."

She hopped off his desk. "It was actually nice, having someone beat me at dueling for once. Although he did cheat, the sneaky bastard. He knew I'd stop if he was hurt."

"I thought he was hurt." Solas countered.

"Oh, he was. But at first he was faking it, for the most part."

Solas disappeared into another room for a moment.

Talyn bit her lip, her brow furrowing in concern. "There was something that bothered me, though. I was going to bring him to one of Fiona's mages, but he refused. He said he didn't want a mage to heal him."

He came back into the room with a cloth, which he used magic to wet. Solas gently started to wipe the dried blood on her face and neck from her injury.

"Fenris was a slave to a Magister of Tevinter. It doesn't surprise me that he wants nothing to do with us."

Tevinter. The one place where no one wanted to be. Mages ruled, and they enslaved poor people stolen for far away lands to build their monuments and serve them until the day they died. It sounded like a nightmare plucked straight from the Fade.

"You would never do that, would you? Use your magic to enslave others?" She stared up into his stormy eyes.

His face turned to stone, but the intensity of his emotions shone through his eyes. Talyn was beginning to learn how to read him when he got like that.

He growled, and responded, "never."

Talyn's belly tied itself into knots, and warmth pooled between her legs. There was something so seductive about that growl Solas had, it sounded so deadly, like he came from another world. One where the beasts ruled. She had never questioned why Solas did that, but she knew that it wasn't normal, and he only ever did it around her.

She wasn't exactly normal either. Another thing that made them perfect for each other.

Talyn was about to pull Solas down to her for a long, much needed kiss, which would then lead to them tearing each other's clothes off, but then the door to his study flew open.

"Inquisitor, Varric and Hawke have returned with a man named Stroud! They said it was urgent. They're waiting in the main hall."

Damn it! Talyn despised being the one in charge. She breathed in through her nose and slowly exhaled.

"I'm on my way."

* * *

I am on a roll! Three - four chapters in like what, two days? LMFAO, I hope they're good and I'm not just going through one of my obsessive word vomit phases. Because if I'm going through one of those, it might be a while until I figure out I gotta do some editing lolol.

Shout out to LuniaWolfe for all the comments! They make me so happy! I hope my Fenris and Hawke are living up to your expectations, lol.

Everyone else, comment! Tell me anything! Tell me the sky is green, I don't care lmfao. Comments keep me motivated to keep going!

Your Highly Obsessive Entertainer,

C.J.


	28. Chapter 28

Talyn rushed to the main hall, Solas right behind her. Varric and Hawke were standing there, with a third man that must have been Stroud. They looked awful, as if they didn't stop to rest once on their way here. There were dark circles under their eyes, and blood and dirt coated their armor and their skin. There was an urgency to their expressions that had her worried.

"I am Stroud, and I am at your service, Inquisitor." The strange man said. He was wearing what looked like Grey Warden armor, and he looked a little more rested than the other two. He had a giant mustache that reminded Talyn of Dorian, and he spoke with an Orlesian accent.

"Firefly you really need to hear what he has to say." Varric told her.

"You have news of Corypheus?" She asked Stroud.

"I'm afraid so." Stroud replied. "When my friend, Hawke, slew Corypheus Weisshaupt was happy to put the matter to rest."

A wave of anxiety washed over Talyn at his words. Something bad was coming, she already knew it.

"But an Archdemon can survive wounds that seem fatal, and I feared Corypheus might have the same power. My investigation uncovered clues but not proof. But then, every single Warden in Orlais began to hear the Calling."

Talyn was confused as to why everyone's face looked so grim, even Solas'. "I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Is the Calling some sort of ritual?"

"The Calling tells a Grey Warden that the Blight will soon claim him. Starts with dreams." Stroud rubbed his temples. "Then comes whispers in his head. The Warden says his farewells and goes down to the Deep Roads to meet his death in combat."

Dread settled over Talyn like fog over a field. "And… every single Warden is hearing the Calling? They think they're dying?"

"Yes. Even I am feeling it's effects. It's likely because of Corypheus." Stroud responded grimly. "If the Wardens fell, who would defend against the next Blight? It's always been our greatest fear."

"Corypheus isn't controlling them." Hawke said. "He's bluffing them into thinking they're all going to die. And they're falling for it."

Talyn started to pace. "How is he doing this?"

"He is a Magister as well as a Darkspawn, and he speaks with the voice of the Blight. That gives him the ability to reach out to the Grey Wardens, since we are tied to the Blight as well. "

"They've stopped thinking clearly. That won't go well." Solas said.

"We are the only ones who can slay Archdemons. Without us, the next Blight will consume the world. We _must_ stop them."

"They're in Weisshaupt Fortress, in the Western Approach." Hawke told her. "We must leave immediately, before they do something they'll regret."

Talyn stormed down the halls of Skyhold. "Cullen!" She shouted.

Cullen walked out of one of the rooms. "What is it, Inquisitor?"

"Gather our army. We're going to Weisshaupt. The Grey Wardens are in trouble."

Cullen walked away at once, shouting someone else's name.

"Inquisitor, where is Fenris?" Hawke followed her.

"He's in the infirmary. He ripped his stitches, but he should be fine." She told him.

Hawke started to run in the other direction, cursing under his breath.

Talyn ran to her room and loaded herself up with her weapons. Every knife she could find was either fit into sheaths she strapped to her legs or went into her boots. She strapped her quiver on and slung her bow over her shoulder.

There was no time to waste. The Western Approach was in the desert, which was a long journey from their land of ice. The Grey Wardens needed help, they needed protection from themselves before they brought on the apocalypse.

Within hours the Inquisition army was assembled, and they set off. They raced across Thedas, the urgency of their mission always at the front of their minds. They ran into little trouble on the road.

They made camp one night in the Emerald Graves. The setting sun shone on the bright green leaves of the countless trees that surrounded them, each leaf into a dazzling emerald. Even the grass beneath their feet was a vibrant shade of green that Talyn had ever seen.

"The name of this place is well earned." She told Solas.

"It is said that every tree is the marking of an elvhen's grave." He told her, a grim look on his face.

Talyn couldn't wait to get out of there after he said that.

That night, Solas took her to another part of the Fade.

 _They were standing by the edge of a silver lake. The water matched Solas' eyes, so bright and otherworldly. She knelt down by the water and ran her hands through it. When she pulled it out of the water, it was painted silver._

 _"What is this?" She asked, staring at her metallic hand in amazement. The liquid sparkled like a star._

 _"Starlight." He replied._

 _Talyn stood up and stared at the lake. "How is that possible?"_

 _Solas laughed. "I told you, Elvhenan was full of impossible things."_

 _She smiled at him. "It's beautiful."_

 _She looked back at the liquid starlight, and an idea formed in her head._

 _She peeled off her clothes one by one, taking her time and dropping everything in a pile on the grass. Solas watched her curiously, his eyes wandering up and down her body in appreciation._

 _She giggled, which sounded strange and foreign coming from her._

 _Then she jumped into the silver water, little droplets splashing into the air like tiny falling stars._

 _It felt like she was swimming in cool silk. It felt weightless, even though when Talyn came up for air she looked like she was dipped in glittering silver paint._

 _Seconds later she heard a splash. She turned around to see ripples in the water and waited for him to come back to the surface. Minutes passed, but still there was nothing. She was starting to get worried. Was it possible to drown in the Fade?_

 _Talyn nearly jumped out of her skin when his arms circled her waist from behind her. He laughed, and she turned around to smack him on the shoulder._

 _He looked like he had been carved from the stars. It took Talyn's breath away, the starlight coating his skin was the exact same color of his eyes, turning him into some godly apparition. She ran her hands up his chest, watching her fingers make a trail through the water. He stood motionless. Her hands went up to his shoulders, and then ran over his bald head._

 _"I wonder what you would look like with hair." Talyn teased. "I don't think I'd recognize you."_

 _He gave her that stare again, the one that was filled with pain and longing, a look that Talyn couldn't possibly understand. She frowned at him._

 _"What's wrong?" She asked him._

 _"Do you remember?" He whispered, his voice rough with emotions._

 _"Remember what?"_

 _There was hesitation in his eyes, something that Talyn had never seen before on him. Then he ran his fingers through Talyn's wet hair, admiring silky strands._

 _"When we were attacked at Haven, and you promised to draw Corypheus away. You told me to stay with the others."_

 _Talyn nodded. "I remember."_

 _Solas cupped her face and pressed his forehead against hers, staring into her eyes._

 _"That was the moment I realized that I would die without you."_

 _Talyn's tattoos lit up as her emotions skyrocketed. The blue light was dim beneath the starlight painting her skin, but it could still be seen._

 _"Don't leave my side when we get to Weisshaupt, ma'alas'en. If Corypheus truly does have control over the Wardens, this will be war."_

 _Solas was scared for her, she could see it in his eyes. She couldn't blame him, she had too many close calls with death in the past. But what he didn't seem to realize was that she was also scared for him._

 _"I won't stray from you if you do the same." Talyn whispered back to him. The intensity of the love she felt for this magnificent man was almost too much for her to bear. Her voice shook when she said, "because I can't live without you by my side either, vhenan."_

 _Solas kissed her hard, holding her body tight against his. She held onto him, afraid that any moment he was going to disappear from her arms forever. He devoured her, and she let him, parting her lips so he could drive his tongue into her mouth and hungrily feast on everything Talyn had to offer. She poured her soul into their kiss, a silent promise that she would be his for all eternity, and he would be hers._

 _He lifted her out of the water and gently laid her on her back._

 _There was nowhere else Talyn would rather be than here with her Solas._

The next morning, Talyn was sneaking her way across the forest floor, her eyes on a massive buck that was peacefully plucking berries off of a black berry bush. She had left early while Solas was still sleeping in their tent, and the only people awake were the soldiers that stood guard over the camp.

She wasn't hunting. She had no need to. She was just watching the creature, testing to see how long it took until he noticed her. He was a survivor, the horns that spiraled above his head were the longest she had ever seen. She could see his herd nearby doing the same thing he was, and little fawns were chasing each other.

It made her happy, watching the halla.

Her peace was shattered a few moments later. An arrow went through the creature, her survivor. The herd ran away, and the buck went down.

Talyn stood up in alarm and started to run towards the animal. Who killed her halla? Why? Why would they do that?

"Fuck! _Pala!"_ She cried out as a bear trap hidden by the tall emerald grass clamped around her foot. She crashed to the ground.

When she looked up, she was surrounded by elves with tattooed faces. The stared at her intensely, muttering in broken elvish amongst themselves.

One word caught her attention. _Rasdalalen._

"I apologize for the trap." A woman with an emerald _vallaslin_ was standing over her. "Are you alright?"

Talyn looked down at her foot. She couldn't see how much she was bleeding, her blood blended with the black void of her strange armor. But it hurt bad, and she was pretty sure she heard a crack when the claws of the trap clamped around her ankle.

"I think my ankle's broken."

The older woman's face creased with worry. "Our camp isn't far from here, let us take you to our Keeper. He can heal you."

"Myra!" One of the others hissed. " _Ahn pala ane ma?"_

Their elvish was so broken it was almost gibberish. But she thought that what the elf was trying to say was 'what the fuck are you doing?'

 _"Asha helani! Min es el!"_

She, help, this is our… task? Fault? It was hurting Talyn's head trying to understand it. Where did these guys learn Elvish? It sounded so rough compared to the way Solas nearly sang in their native language, each word flowing into the next like musical notes.

The woman, Myra, reached over and undid the trap. Talyn winced as the claws of the trap were forcefully pulled out of her foot, and Myra helped Talyn to her feet.

"Would you like to be carried?" Myra asked politely.

"No, I'd just like to get back to my camp."

Myra shook her head. "You are with the Inquisition, yes? Our camp is closer. Let our Keeper heal you and you can be on your way."

Talyn felt a little uneasy about accepting help from the Dalish elves. But if she went back to the camp like this, Solas was going to lecture her about going off by herself.

She caved and nodded her head. The other hunters went to get the halla, and Myra helped her limp to the Dalish camp.

Caravans and tents were formed into a circle, a crackling fire in the middle. There were elvhen children that ran around with toy swords, pretending to kill shems. One of them nearly tripped over their own feet by the fire, but one of the women who seemed to be cooking breakfast for the clan caught him just in time.

The two men who were standing guard stared at Talyn curiously, and then started speaking in the same broken Elvish to the man who had been upset with Myra bringing her back to the camp. The deeper into the Dalish camp they went, the more elves stared at Talyn.

The keeper was a tall man with long grey hair, a thousand canyons etched into his skin. He carried a pale staff with what looked like an opal for the jewel.

"Myra, who is this?" He asked curiously.

"She was injured by one of our traps. She is with the Inquisition that are camped a ways from here."

Myra brought Talyn to a chair. She sat down, and the Keeper stared at her, just like the others.

Talyn cleared her throat. "I'm Inquisitor Talyn of the Inquisition. I'd, um, appreciate the help."

The Keeper smiled. "I have heard of you. I am Keeper Adralan of Clan Lavellan. This is my First, Myra."

"It is nice to meet you, Keeper Adralan."

The Keeper sat in the chair across from her, and she put her injured foot on the table between them.

The old man smiled at her and put his hands on her ankle. A warm glow emitted from his palms, and then Talyn's throbbing ankle felt fine again.

"Thank you." She said, and then she stood to her feet.

"Your welcome, Inquisitor." The Keeper bowed.

That made Talyn's face burn. And then she looked around to see that a crowd had formed around them. They were several feet away, but every face, young, old, male, female, stared at her. That made her face burn brighter.

"Their staring at you because they believe you to be Rasdalalen." The Keeper explained, also rising to his feet.

There it was, that name again.

"If you don't mind me asking, who is Rasdalalen?" She asked. She tried to make it sound like mere curiosity, but her heart was burning for an answer.

"Rasdalalen, The Faceless One. Servant of the Creators, Bringer of Death." She looked around at the others while her pulse pounded in her ears. _The Faceless One. Bringer of Death._

Why did those names sound so familiar to her? Why did her soul recognize them?

"It is said that Andruil created her from stardust and gave her the ability to change faces. She used this gift to carry out orders from the Creators. When she wasn't wearing a different face, her own would be shrouded by darkness. Rasdalalen was the most powerful elf in Elvhenan, she mastered every weapon known, could become one with the darkness. Some call her a god, one of the Evanuris. Her blood bled blue with her power. Your _vallaslin_ is blue, Inquisitor. That is why they think you are her. But obviously, you aren't."

Talyn smiled, but her heart was racing. Her memories… That redhead, she had called her _Rasdalalen._ Why did she do that? She had to talk to Solas. She _had_ to figure this out. She had no choice.

"Would you like to stay for breakfast?"

What Talyn wanted to do was go back to her camp. But she didn't want to be rude. She didn't know how to leave without eating food with them first.

So, she smiled graciously. "Of course, Keeper."

She sat with Keeper Adralan by the fire and ate with him. She tried to scarf it down at fast as possible, but she was scorching her throat in the process. She smiled and nodded as Keeper Adralan talked.

A little girl walked up to Talyn. She kept looking down at the ground. She saw a few other children a little ways away giggling and watching the girl.

" _Andaran Atish'an, Rasdalalen."_

" _Ar'm din Rasdalalen, da'len."_ Talyn responded. She had told the girl that she wasn't Rasdalalen.

The little girl's face paled and her eyes grew wide. She tried to stutter out a reply, but then turned on her heel and ran back to her friends.

Talyn frowned in confusion.

"Our language is broken. We only have pieces of it left. What you spoke was mostly gibberish, yet it is flawlessly Elvish. Where did you learn it?" Keeper Adralan said to her.

Solas had never had a problem understanding her.

Talyn shrugged. "I don't know. I've just always spoke it like that."

Adralan smiled. "You are fascinating, Inquisitor."

Talyn looked around the Dalish camp. "I didn't know how much of our culture was lost."

He chuckled. "For someone so important, you've been living under a rock. The _shems_ are to blame for the state we are in now. We used to be a mighty people. A thousand years of war and slavery have turned us into this."

She turned to him. "But you have your freedom."

He smiled. "Yes, we do. Free will is all that matters, even if we are still looked down upon, we may roam wherever we wish. We answer to no one, and that is a good feeling."

Talyn returned the smile and stood to her feet. "Thank you for healing my ankle, and for the food. But I must really be going now."

He nodded. "Of course, you have an Inquisition to lead."

" _Nuva Evanuris mar_ travels, Keeper."

It felt weird, switching between two languages like that.

" _Nuva_ stars _innana ma,_ Inquisitor."

Talyn raced back to the Inquisition camp, her newly healed ankle making it possible. She had completely forgotten about the halla that had been killed for its meat, because the information of Rasdalalen was swimming in her head. She was going to have to bring it up to Solas, but she knew that he didn't like talking about the Creators.

When she got back to the camp, everyone was starting to pack up. Cullen spotted her and ran over to her, urgency written all over his face.

"Scouts came back from Weisshaupt, Inquisitor. The Grey Wardens – they're performing a ritual with blood magic. Demons are sprouting left and right. We have to leave immediately."

"Damn it, what are they thinking?!" She cursed in Elvish and ran to her and Solas' tent. It was already packed away, and Solas was saddling their horses.

"Where have you been?" He asked angrily.

She snapped back, "I went for a walk. I'm an adult and I'm allowed to do that, you know."

His face softened. "I'm sorry. I was worried."

Talyn grabbed his face and kissed him.

"I know."

She went to help ready the horses. Now wasn't the time to inquire about long forgotten legends.


	29. Chapter 29

They were racing against time and moved with a swiftness that only the gods could have blessed them with. The fear for the Grey Wardens affected everyone, because if they truly did fall, then the world was doomed. The next Blight would consume Thedas. Corypheus could _not_ win this.

The Western Approach was little more than an empty wasteland. There was a beauty to it's rocky mountains and moving sands, but Talyn didn't like the heat. She felt like her skin was melting. She would rather be on her mountain, where it was snowing at this exact moment. Although, they did get relief from the sun at night, when the temperatures dropped low enough to make snow if there had been any moisture in the air.

There was no time to rest. They only made small stops to water the horses and eat, and then they would be on the road again. So, there was no time for Talyn to ask Solas about the information she had gained from Keeper Adralan in the Emerald Graves. She hadn't told him yet about her encounter with the Dalish either. She knew how he felt about them, and she could understand why. Speaking to them in Elvish had been a disaster.

But that was another thing that bothered her. Why was it that only her and Solas could speak proper Elvish? Why were they so different from the others? The other elves around Skyhold, and even the Dalish elves, had all been shorter, and slender. So why was it that her and Solas were tall, and built more like humans? Their ears were different from the others as well. They were longer, sharper looking. The term "knife-ear" applied to her and Solas more than it did the other elves.

These were all questions she wanted answers to, but the most important one that needed to be answered was this: Why, did one of the only memories Talyn obtained since she fell out of the rift in Haven mention an ancient demi-god from the past? How was she connected to Rasdalalen?

She knew that Solas knew there was something on her mind. Solas knew everything, it seemed. She could tell how hard he had to try to not ask her about it, because he also knew that now wasn't the time for that conversation.

They stopped for the night when they were a day away from Weisshaupt. The soldiers needed to rest, otherwise they wouldn't be prepared for tomorrow. The cool air felt like heaven on Talyn's sweaty skin. She was laying with Solas underneath the stars away from the rest of the Inquisition, their limbs tangled underneath the furs they had pulled over them. She had her head on his chest, his steady heartbeat singing in her ear. Solas was running his fingers through her tangled hair, gently undoing the knots he created during their lovemaking.

She couldn't sleep. After their passion was spent, Talyn couldn't stop thinking about what was going to happen tomorrow. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that the Wardens were willingly inviting demons into their bodies because they were afraid of the Blight. And then there were the questions that have been on her mind for days. It filled her with unease, and that nervousness made it impossible for her to close her eyes.

"Sleep, little wolf." Solas murmured. "You need your strength."

 _Little wolf._ Hmm. She kind of liked that.

"So do you." She replied.

"We're not talking about me." He countered.

"Well then, what are you thinking about?" She asked.

He sighed and wrapped her long hair around his hand. He tugged on her hair, so she was forced to look up at him.

His voice was like honey when he spoke in Elvish, " _ar'm cogitare thu_ _ma ema ta faciem an exercitus or mila soldieris enfenim, har or geal, la'var eal erathe slanna ahnsul ma tel'nea neal ne or nen dara to erat_."

I'm thinking about how you have to face an army of elite soldiers possessed by fear, while being sleep deprived because you won't rest.

She rolled her eyes and responded, _"Ar'm tel din a esha'lin or da'lin."_

I'm not a child.

He raised an eyebrow. " _Thera diana ajual enal aron sa."_

Then stop acting like one.

She didn't know what possessed her to say, " _Ehn isa eh Inferna Din Sul'emalan?"_

Who is the Faceless Death Bringer?

That made Solas pause. Talyn moved so that she was leaning on her hands above him, his hand still in her hair.

His smile wasn't happy, but it was knowing. He switched to the common tongue. "Which Dalish elf have you been talking to?"

"I ran into some on my walk. They called me Rasdalalen, because of my lyrium."

Solas untangled his hand from her hair, but in one swift movement he flipped her so he was the one hovering over her.

His silver eyes were a stormy grey, showing the depths of his anger. It surprised her, and for the first time she was afraid of him.

That is, until he leaned down so their faces were inches apart and spoke pasisionately without taking his eyes off hers. "They know _nothing._ You are no one's slave, you are not Rasdalalen. No one's blood is on your hands, _ma_ _vhenan."_ He kissed her forehead. _"_ You are guiltless, _ma'alas'en."_

"But, Solas-"

He put two fingers on her lips to silence her. "The only thing that you are, my love, is _mine._ And I will protect what is mine. So stop, and go to sleep."

Talyn let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine."

She rolled over on her side, and Solas moved behind her. One arm went under her head, and the other went around her waist. She closed her eyes and did her best to let it go.

They arrived at Weisshaupt just as the sun began to set over the blurry horizon. It was a massive fortress of red stone, rising high into the sky like the gates of the Black City itself. They stopped in its shadow, and Talyn stared up at the figures who stood on the wall.

They were two dark shadows, and along the lines were black shapes that she assumed to be archers. It was hard to tell because the blinding sun was setting right behind them, casting them in shadow. But she could see the insignia of the Grey Wardens.

"Warden-Commander Clarel!" Talyn shouted so she could hear her. Her eyes were watering from staring into the light like that, but she refused to look away.

"And who is it that comes to Weisshaupt?" A man's voice responded.

"Inquisitor Talyn, Andraste's Chosen, and her Inquisition!" Cullen responded pridefully.

"And why is it that the Inquisitor wants to speak with me?" Clarel asked.

"I know about The Calling, Clarel. Stroud told me."

"Warden-Commander, you are being deceived! There is no arch-demon! You are being manipulated!" Stroud, who was next to her, shouted.

"And so you came to tell me this, with an army at your back?" Clarel sounded accusing.

"Let us in, Clarel. We can explain it to you, and you can stop this madness." Hawke tried to reason with her.

There was a moment of silence, while Clarel and the mystery man spoke to each other. Talyn's keen ears picked up a few words.

"Liars." And "Deceivers" caught her attention.

"We have an agent of Corypheus with us." She told the others. "He's probably the mage who suggested they try blood magic."

"Damn Tevinters." Iron Bull's voice came behind her.

Talyn turned around in alarm, and saw Bull and Dorian standing behind her.

"Bull?" She asked in surprise.

"He's finally admitted that he was acting like a huge jack ass. He's apologetic, but he won't say it to your face because he's a stubborn Qunari." Dorian explained.

Talyn grinned. "Apologize for what?"

Her and Bull shared a look, and he smiled back at her.

"Well, first of all, _I_ would like to apologize for my fellow Tevinters. They aren't as cute and cuddly as I am. I was trying to work with them on that, before I betrayed Alexius and his little cult." Dorian's voice was as sarcastic as ever.

"If there's a Tevinter up there with the Warden-Commander, we're going to have to force our way in." Bull grumbled.

"I agree with Bull." Solas interjected. "Weisshaupt is an ancient fortress. Trebuchets should bring down the wall easily."

"I will tell the men to get them ready." Cullen said.

"You will leave this place immediately!" Clarel shouted at them from above. "We do not need your sage advice, Inquisitor. We will do what we must to protect Thedas."

"Clarel, think!" Hawke responded. "Why would you all hear The Calling?"

"You will leave. _Now!"_ The man shouted.

"I will not leave until you let me speak, Clarel!" Talyn insisted.

"Then you give me no choice. I will not put Thedas at risk!"

Talyn already knew was what going to happen when Clarel lifted her arm. When she brought it down, a hail of arrows came with it.

Talyn felt the tingling sensation of Solas' magical barrier around her. Everyone within range of Solas was protected by the raining arrows, while the others lifted their shields and hid under them. Talyn could hear the cries of those who didn't lift their shield in time.

There was only the sound of the arrows bouncing off steel shields. They sounded like raindrops. After a moment of complete silence when the last arrow fell, the world burst with sound.

The Inquisition archers fired back, some of their arrows hitting the archers that stood along the wall with Clarel and the Tevinter. Soldiers shouted battle cries and launched the trebuchets. The giant boulders crashed into the wall, making it rain red rocks and dust.

Mages were throwing their magic at the Inquisition, and Talyn turned to see Fiona shouting orders at the mages to fire back. She saw a thin green haze around the soldiers working the trebuchets.

Talyn pulled out her own bow and started to fire. The sun was setting quickly behind the Wardens, making it easier to see them. Every target she made, she hit. She grinned

There was a loud _boom!_ She looked over to see the trebuchets exploding one by one, black smoke billowing into the twilight sky.

"Qunari explosives! How the hell did they get those?" Iron Bull shouted.

"Cover me!" Talyn shouted, leaping off of her horse.

 _"_ Talyn, wait! _Pala!_ " She heard Solas shout behind her.

The same men who had been working the trebuchets hoisted a burgundy tree trunk as thick as a troll's leg, the battering ram, onto their shoulders and were running towards the gates. The magic shields that covered their bodies kept the arrows from shooting them down. Talyn could feel the arrows bounce off of her own shield.

As she ran towards the gates she put her bow back and pulled out the two daggers strapped to her thighs. She jumped, and then pushed off of the battering ram. She soared through the air towards the red stone and drove her knives into it.

The stone cracked with the impact. She tore it out of the stone and drove it back in, little pieces of stone flying. The knives lit up with lyrium light as she steadily climbed up the wall. The area below seemed to be louder, so she looked down to see what was happening.

There was another wave of soldiers running towards the Inquisition from behind. They were wearing the jester-like armor of the Venatori, their swords high in the air. She saw Venatori mages appear by magic behind the rebel mages, cutting them down while they were focused They attacked the Inquisition soldiers before they knew they were there, making the shields around the soldiers holding the battering ram fail. Arrows started to descend upon them, blood splattering and men shouting as they got hit.

' _No! He cannot win!'_

She worked faster, her tattoos lighting up, and the light moving into her daggers. The little holes they left burned blue. When she reached the top, a hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up.

It was Solas. His eyes were shining the way they did in the Fade, his sleek midnight staff glittering with blood already. He lifted her up onto the wall, and then whirled around to fire an ice shard into the chest of a Warden. Talyn's daggers went back into their sheaths and she pulled out her sword.

How did he get up the wall before she did?

More Wardens surrounded them, getting in between them and blocking her view of Solas. As far as she knew, they were the only two on their side who were standing on the battlements.

"Solas!" She shouted, but she couldn't hear his voice over the song of war.

The painful screams of her enemies falling beneath her blade scratched at her eardrums. Her senses were being overthrown by panic, her arms and legs started to shake with fear. She fought as hard as she could to get to Solas, but the gap between them just kept growing wider it seemed. She saw a flash of his bald head, and for that fraction of a second, she saw his robes stained with red.

Her sword dropped to the ground, everything seemed to move in slow motion for that moment. And when he disappeared, her panic was set into overdrive. She frantically fought her way towards him, using her bare hands to break necks and punch holes through the Wardens. That burning Fade fire clung to her hands, latching on to anyone who got too close to her.

"Solas! _SOLAS!"_ She screamed so violently that it tore throat apart, but she couldn't see him.

No. _No._ She wasn't going to lose him. They promised they would stay by each other's side, Solas was surrounded and injured and she couldn't leave him all alone-

 _'Stop.'_ A cool, collected, voice of reason sounded in her head. It was her own voice, but it was different. It was cold, like ice that cut through her panic.

 _'Solas can take care of himself. If the gates aren't opened, we'll all die.'_

Talyn's eyes landed on the lever on the far side of the battlements that would open the gates.

' _Open the gates, then find him.'_ She told herself.

She barreled her way through the sea of Wardens, not bothering to kill them anymore. She weaved through them, dodging their blades. As she ran, she leaned down and picked up a shield that had been dropped on the ground. She used it to block the sword strikes that should have killed her.

She used her stolen shield to shove at the Wardens, some of them fell over the wall, plummeting to their death with screams in their throats. She swung it at the others, the edges of it slicing throats or crushing bones.

She made it to the lever and pulled with all of her might. The wood shattered beneath her hand, making it impossible to get them closed again.

The gates creaked open, and those who were left at the battering ram dropped it and charged inside. The rest of the Inquisition followed suit, the sound of thousands of feet making the earth rumble beneath them.

Talyn dropped the shield and pulled out her daggers again, facing the Wardens that were left on the battlements. She was a whirlwind of shadow and steel, moving so quickly through the enemy ranks that all she could see was a blur of crimson. Her only thought now was to get to Solas, the image of him bleeding out in her arms in that twisted future branded into her eyes.

' _Mine. He's mine, I will not let him die.'_

The sun finally set over the horizon, shrouding their battlefield in darkness. Torches were lit, but those on the wall still couldn't see nearly as well as Andraste's Chosen. It made cutting through to the other side much easier for her.

She saw Solas behind a wall of ice. There were bodies hanging by the sharp points of the ice wall, one was facing her, as if he had been running before he was stabbed in the throat. Blood was dripping from them, steaming in the chilly air.

Talyn killed a few Wardens, and then leaped over the wall, slicing her palm on one of the icicles in the process.

Despite the blood on his robes, he looked unhurt. Relief nearly cleaned Talyn of her adrenaline rush, but an arrow aimed for Solas had it going back into overdrive. She caught it, and then flung one of her daggers at the offending archer.

"Our men are in." She told him.

Solas did a quick once over, making sure she was okay the way she did with him, and then nodded. "I saw where Clarel and that Tevinter man went."

The two of them raced down from the battlements into the courtyard of Weisshaupt, cutting down Wardens and Venatori alike as they did so. Bull and Dorian joined them. Dorian and Solas used their magic together to more solidify the barriers surrounding Talyn and Bull, and they did the same when Hawke, Stroud, and Fenris joined them.

"We have to get to Clarel before we slaughter them!" Hawke shouted at Talyn.

He was right. This was dangerous. These Wardens were only attacking the Inquisition at the orders of their commander, who was being manipulated. They all were. The more time it took to find Clarel, the less time they had to save the Wardens from annihilation.

Having the others join them made getting through the crowds of bloodthirsty swordsmen much easier. Solas soon led them to a door, the heart of Weisshaupt.

"The ritual room, back when this fortress was controlled by Tevinter." Dorian said. "Of course they'd be here."

Talyn tried the door, only to find it unsurprisingly locked. Her tattoos glowed again as she rammed her shoulder into the door, making it fly open, chips of woods going everywhere.

The sight she saw before her made her skin crawl.

Demons stood against the walls of the room. Shades, with their oozing black skin, Rages leaking liquid fire onto the stone floor, even Desires with their hourglass figures and barely concealed lavender bodies were scattered about the room. Wardens were also standing in the room, they were older, more grey in their beards and more wrinkles in their faces than Talyn had seen in the raging battle outside of this room.

And the man, who Talyn could now see, was standing in the center of a raised stone circle with symbols on it. Clarel was standing in the circle as well, the jewel on her staff shining brightly. The man had dark hair and an unkempt beard. There was a madness in his eyes that Talyn recognized on Corypheus' face.

Clarel looked up at her in alarm but didn't stop as one man got down on his knees.

"Take me for the ritual, Warden-Commander. I can't serve Thedas with this arm, but I can do this."

"Clarel, stop this!" Talyn demanded.

The Tevinter man sneered. "The Wardens are sacrificing themselves for Thedas, Inquisitor. Please do not interrupt."

Clarel pulled out a knife, and draw it across her palm. She took the other man's hand and drew it across his hand.

Talyn stepped forward, only to find that there was a barrier around the room. She slammed her fists into the invisible wall, and she started to shout, "Clarel, it's Corypheus! Don't do this!"

Clarel didn't pay Talyn any attention. Talyn watched in horror as she bowed her head and a green haze started to encircle them. She hit the barrier until her hands started to bleed, screaming and shouting at Clarel. No spell that Solas and Dorian shot at wall broke it.

She _needed_ to get through, she _needed_ to stop her.

The light started to dance on her skin once more, her hands lit with azure fire. She could see the barrier crack beneath her fists now, the fissures spreading until it shattered like glass.

Everything was such a blur, yet time almost stood still as Talyn rushed into the room. She felt something, like the echoes of time as her footsteps pounded into the stone, and Solas' voice mirrored another's as he shouted, "Talyn, stop!"

She slid across the stone, shoving the Warden out of the way. She brought her daggers up caught Warden-Commander's knife just as she brought it down on her.

Talyn glared at Clarel, strands of her hair falling into her eyes. Clarel stared at her in horror, the light in her staff fizzing out, and the green ring around the circle faded.

"Clarel," Talyn's voice was slow and calm, her eyes remained on Clarel unblinkingly. "There is no Calling. You are being controlled by your own fear."

"Don't listen to her, Warden-Commander. She's a false prophet." The Tevinter man said.

Clarel started to look at Corypheus' agent, so Talyn snapped, her voice deep and commanding, "Clarel!"

She turned her gaze back on Talyn, her bright eyes wide with confusion and fear.

"A few years ago, there was a darkspawn you had imprisoned. He was different. He looked like a man, but was also not a man, and he whispered in your heads."

Clarel blinked, understanding started to dawn in her eyes.

"His name is Corypheus, Clarel, and he is whispering in your heads again. He is planting false images in your minds. He _wants_ you to complete this ritual, Warden-Commander. He is counting on you wiping yourselves out and joining his army."

"Hurry, Warden-Commander, before the Inquisition kills you all." The Corypheus agent said in a bored voice.

"Warden-Commander, please listen to her." Stroud stood next to Clarel.

Clarel looked around the room, her eyes lingering on the demons who stood there. Talyn watched the horror register on her face at what she had done.

"There is still time to stop this." Talyn spoke quietly. "You can stop this, _right now."_

Clarel stared at her for a moment, and then she dropped the knife in her hand. She shot a fireball at a Desire demon, and it burst into flames. The others stood still, awaiting orders, it seemed.

The Warden-Commander helped Talyn to her feet, and they faced the Tevinter man.

He was grinning at Talyn, an evil glint in his dark eyes. He said, "my master thought you would show, _Inquisitor._ He sent you a gift!"

A roar shook the walls, that death song ringing in Talyn's heart. She pulled the bow off her back and knocked an arrow into it, staring at the ceiling in expectation.

Stone crumbled into dust as the dragon's claws shredded the roof above them. Talyn released her arrow, and it hit her mark, wedging itself between two scales.

The Tevinter man was laughing. There was another _boom!,_ and she turned around to see one of the largest rifts she had ever seen. It went from the top of the ruined ceiling to the floor, and was as wide as the dragon in the air above them.

Talyn saw it's throat light up, and shouted, "RUN FOR COVER!"

Clarel stood in front of Talyn and started to shoot magic at the dragon. It bent it's massive neck and reached into the room, swiftly chomping down on the Warden-Commander.

"Clarel!" The Wardens shouted in anguish.

The demons came to life, and the remaining Wardens attacked them. Talyn fired another shot at the dragon, and another, making sure to angle her bow so the arrows would slide in between the dragon's inky scales. It didn't seem to do anything other than irritate the massive beast however, and it drove it's front legs into the room.

The sheer weight of the dragon forced the ancient stone to crumble, and the floor tipped towards the dragon. Man and demon both started to slide and fall to their deaths.

"Solas!" Talyn shouted as she was thrown back, falling rapidly towards the rift.

"Inquisitor!"

"Boss!"

"Talyn!"

The rest of the group lunged for Talyn, but gravity worked against them and they ended up falling with her into the emerald, swirling magic of the rift.

* * *

OMG OMG OMG YOU GUYS. GUYS. GUYS. Are you ready? Are you as excited as I am?

WE ARE SO CLOSE TO FINDING OUT WHO TALYN REALLY IS!

I might have _slightly_ rushed the Warden battle scene because I'm just too damn excited about this, and I refuse to apologize for that. :p

EEEEEEK THIS IS FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN.

Thank you guys for the comments! I love them!

C.J.


	30. Chapter 30

The next thing Talyn knew, Solas, Dorian, Stroud, Hawke, Fenris, Bull, and herself were falling into what looked like a canyon carved out of ebony rocks. The sky above them was an emerald green, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Tall midnight mountains jabbed at the sky, and a bright light shone in the distance.

Solas helped her to her feet.

"Where are we?" Hawke asked.

"We're in the Fade." Solas responded.

"What? How is that possible?" Dorian was shocked.

Talyn looked down at her hand, at the Anchor that she was so used to she had forgotten it even existed. It was shining the way her tattoos did, it's light warm and soothing now that it was where it belonged.

"My Anchor. You guys fell in here with me, so I guess it's protecting you as well." Talyn explained.

"That's… that's insane. This isn't possible." Fenris protested.

She sighed. "Welcome to my life."

"Well… what should we do?" Stroud asked.

"We start walking." Solas answered.

He started to walk down the path, and Talyn followed him. The others hesitated for a minute, and then followed as well.

"We fell into a rift… and ended up in the Fade." Bull repeated slowly, as if he was having trouble understanding it.

"Yes, love, it seems that that is indeed the case here." Dorian responded to him.

"Boss, do you know how to get us _out_ of the Fade?"

"I'm assuming that at the end of this path is our exit." Solas answered Bull for her.

Talyn held onto her knives. She was down to two, since she kept throwing them at her attackers. And her sword had been abandoned at Weisshaupt. She had plenty of arrows for her bow, however.

She was nervous. There was something wrong with this place. Something sinister lurked in the shadows, she could feel it breathe down the back of her neck. She gripped her knives until her knuckles started to turn white.

Solas noticed her chewing on her lip, and asked her, "what is it?"

"I don't like this place." She replied in a whisper, so the others couldn't hear her. "Something is wrong. Very, very wrong."

Solas took one of her knives out of her hand and interlaced his fingers with hers. "You need to relax, Talyn. I think I know where we are."

"Where?" She demanded.

"We're in a fear demon's lair." He said. "You're a beacon for demons, Talyn. If your tattoos start to light up, we'll be seen. So you need to keep calm."

She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. He rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb while they walked, and she was certain he was using a soothing spell to keep her calm.

They walked in silence for a while, each of them on the look out for demons.

Up ahead, there was an older woman that wore the red and white robes of the Chantry. She was faded, and shining, two clear signs of a spirit. When they got closer, Stroud and Hawke gasped.

"Revered Mother." They said simultaneously, putting their fists over their hearts and kneeling before the spirit.

Talyn frowned, and then looked back at the elderly woman.

Then she gasped. "Oh, Creators, is that Divine Justinia?"

Solas was studying the spirit. "Not likely. More like a spirit imitating her."

"Is she… well, is she good?" Bull asked.

Solas nodded. "This is a spirit, not a demon. She does not wish to lead us to our deaths, but rather to guide us."

The spirit didn't walk, but rather floated towards Talyn. Everyone was tense, their hands on their weapons, including Talyn.

But the spirit stopped and spoke with the accent of an Orlesian, "walk the Path of Nightmares and kill everything will be revealed."

"Kill who?" Talyn asked.

The spirit pointed a finger towards the light at the end of the canyon. "Draga'Mora."

"Draga'Mora? That doesn't sound good." Bull muttered.

"He's an ancient fear demon." Solas explained. "It's not good that we're in his lair."

"The only way out is in the light." The spirit of Divine Justinia said.

"What will be re-" Talyn turned back to the spirit, but she was gone.

She frowned. "That was strange."

"She came to warn us. I'm glad she did." Solas

Talyn put her knives away and pulled out her bow, the familiar feel of the wood keeping her calm.

 _Kill him, and everything will be revealed._ What the hell was that supposed to mean?

It felt like they had been walking for an eternity in silence, and the closer they got to the light in the distance, the more Talyn felt dread in the pit of her stomach. It made her hands shake, and she dropped the arrow she had in her bow multiple times.

She didn't know why she was so afraid. She could feel the darkness, the evil that surrounded this place. But that shouldn't make her as nervous as she was. Talyn had fought worse foes than a fear demon.

"This Path of Nightmares is rather cheery, isn't it?" Dorian broke the silence.

"It's about as cheery as Fenris." Hawke responded.

"I can be… cheery." Fenris defended himself.

"I can count how many times I've-"

There was a loud, inhuman screech. A spider the size of a dragon came into view, it's black body blocking out the light. Talyn looked behind her and saw that Stroud was frozen, his face white as snow and his mouth hanging open.

They took care of the giant spider quickly, while Stroud stood there motionless.

"Spiders, Stroud? Seriously?" Bull huffed.

"I had a rather unfortunate encounter with some in the Deep Roads. Damn things are scarier than a darkspawn." He explained once he realized the thing was dead.

They started to walk again. They didn't speak, because they all had an overwhelming sensation that they were not alone. Solas wouldn't let go of Talyn, as if he was afraid she was going to float away into the Fade.

She knew they were close when an oily voice was carried on the wind.

"I've scented you, Elf. You smell of sunlight."

"What the fuck was that?!" Bull exclaimed.

"I feel your power. Have you returned for what is yours?" That voice said.

The voice laughed eerily. "It is _mine_ now."

Talyn squared her shoulders and pulled back on her bowstring. She turned around the corner of ebony rock to face the largest demon she had ever seen.

He was a big mass of shadowy beast, with the head of a bull and the body of a man. His nose was bleeding, his eyes gouged out and oozing green goo. He stood higher than a pride demon, his hands like the claws of a crab.

He turned his eyeless gaze on Talyn and shouted an animalistic war cry.

It was the sort of sound that froze the blood in her veins. It hit her harder than the roar of a dragon, than the sight of seeing Solas with a knife sticking out of his chest. Every minor fear, every anxiety induced terror crashed into her like waves crashing onto a rocky shore. Her tattoos lit up, her arrow lit with her lyrium's fire as she let go of the bowstring.

For the first time since she could remember, her arrow missed its mark. It embedded itself into the demon's shoulder, which angered him more than anything. The bull demon charged, his hoofed feet making cracks and indents in the rocky ground.

All around them, the quiet world of the Fade exploded. Talyn was shining was so bright with her terror that she couldn't see her arms, just that blue light. Demons started to pour from the corners of the area, shrieking and heading straight for Talyn.

Solas lifted his staff, and the jewel started to glow. A giant wall of ice shrouded them from the demons, but she could see their silhouettes, and their inhuman hands banging on the ice.

"Shit! Knock it off, Inquisitor, we need to see!" Hawke snapped at her.

That dark laugh could be heard even from behind the thick wall of ice.

 _"Ma thirnna ma elana dirna ash?"_

You think you can save her now?

 _"Ma bered to dirna ash i've."_

You promised to save her before.

Talyn turned to Solas. "What does he mean?"

"Ignore him, _vhenan."_ Solas urged. "He's trying to pray on your fear. You need to calm yourself."

 _"Ga ma lathem emen ea em s ver sha or ast o ma, Elfen. Ma elana't rime mar Foerier Melin!"_

Everything you loved has been taken from you, Elfen, You can't even remember your True Name!

Talyn blinked, the demon's words only making her frantic pulse worse. Her head started to ache.

"My True Name?"

"Who cares what he says? He's a fucking demon! Pull your shit together!" Fenris snapped at her, completely without mercy.

"Solas, my True Name. What does he mean by that?"

For the first time, Solas was at a loss for words. She could see it on his face.

"Boss!" Bull interrupted. "We really don't have time for this!"

The ice began to crack underneath the numerous fists that were hitting it.

" _Fenhedis!"_ Solas cursed.

Talyn knew they were running out of time, and focused.

"Get ready." She warned.

Her light faded so it wasn't so blinding, and Talyn slammed the hilt of her dagger into the ice, making it shatter.

Then they fought for their lives.

These demons were different, their power felt more… ancient, although Talyn couldn't figure out why. It was as if they had been here thousands of years before them, before even Elvhenan. Even the rage demons that spit their molten fire seemed to be more a deep red than the bright color of lava they usually were. When one of them was touched by a shade, it left a sticky residue on their armor.

Draga'Mora was standing in the middle of the crowd of demons, watching th

 _"Dornan asha eoalasa, Fen?"_

Does she know, Wolf?

 _"Dornan asha eoalasa mar imor sola?"_

Does she know your greatest sin?

"What is that thing saying?!" Dorian shouted.

Talyn started to make her way to the fear demon, cutting a line through the monsters that kept pouring into the area. She didn't even see which creatures she was killing, her eyes never strayed from Draga'Mora.

 _Kill him, and everything will be revealed._

She heard an explosion and felt intense heat at her back. The only thing that protected her from the ocean of burning demons was Solas' barrier that he had still kept firmly in place. She could feel Solas' ice magic aimed towards those who had been immune to the blast of fire, and everyone else started to make their way towards Draga'Mora was well.

"You will never see your sister again, Champion of Kirkwall." That voice slick with nightmares addressed Hawke. "I will rip your spine from your body. She will never know what happened to you."

"Bethany died in the Deep Roads, demon. But nice try!" Hawke shouted before he drove his sword into one of the demon's legs.

He screamed with pain and swung one of his massive crab claws. Stroud and Bull went flying in the air.

"Keep him distracted." She told them, and then she weaved her way through the burning demon corpses.

"You're not a very good fear demon, Drag!" Dorian taunted him.

Dorian and Solas were shooting spells at him, while the others kept his attention off of Talyn, who was circling around the demon.

Quickly, she grabbed a hold of one of his claws and ran up his arm. She narrowly avoided being crushed by his other claw. She jumped and grabbed a hold of one of his horns just in time for him to bring his claw down on his shoulder.

Draga'Mora shook his head, and her body started to swing back and forth violently. She pulled herself on top of his head, and she started to drive her burning blades into his head. Draga'Mora started to roar, and reached to grab her.

"You. Will. Tell. Me," she enunciated each word with each quick, enraged stab, "who. I. _AM!"_

The last word came out as a scream, and the last thing she saw was a field of blue fire.

* * *

Mischief Lavellan pointed out to me that I got the wrong fortress, that the one in the Western Approach is actually Adamant, NOT Weisshuapt. Thank you for telling me, I apologize and will eventually fix it, lol.

and OMG YOU GUYS QUICK GET TO THE NEXT CHAPTER!


	31. Chapter 31

_She was walking through a meadow, running her finger tips along the soft petals of the tall, vibrant wildflowers that grew around her. The wind carried the soft, sweet songs of the trees._

 _"Tarasyl, Tarasyl." They sang a greeting to her, their emerald branches swaying with the breeze. The wispy tendrils of a weeping willow reached out to her as she passed underneath it, it's song as soft as a whisper._

 _She smiled and lifted her face to the sun._

 _She heard a dragon's roar, and she saw a horde fly over the sun. She laughed and lifted her hands out to them. They dipped low to the ground, close enough to brush their claws against her palms in a warm greeting. Ech and every one of them made sure to pay their respects to their Sky Sister._

 _The sight of the dragon horde filled her with a hope she had thought was diminished. She would save her people. She could feel it in her bones._

* * *

 _She woke in a soft bed, a canopy of lavender above her. The crystalline bedposts glimmered with rainbows as the sunlight hit them, and dark curtains were pulled around the bed. She looked down to see white furs coverings her up to her chin. And then the pain hit her._

 _Excruciating, agonizing pain. Her skin felt like it was melting, like she was taking a bath in molten lava. It was when a muffled whimper escaped her lips that she realized her entire face but her nose and eyes was covered, and that sent a wave of sheer panic through her._

 _A shadow behind the curtain stirred, and it was pulled back. A slender woman with fiery red hair sat down on the bed. She had beautiful eyes, they were the color of emeralds and shone with an ethereal light. They were looking at her in concern._

 _"Shhh, don't try to speak. You've been through hell." She said softly, her voice sounding like a song. "Do you know what happened to you?"_

 _Her whole body trembled with pain, even the simple motion it took to shake her head made her tired._

 _"Do you remember anything at all?"_

 _She shook her head faster this time, panic overriding everything else._

 _The woman put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, calm down, you're going to make it worse."_

 _No, no it wasn't alright! What was she doing here? Why was she in so much pain?!_

 _A calm, terrifying realization dawned on her._

 _She breathed through the pain as she lifted her arm out from under the blankets, and a muffled scream left her lips._

 _Her entire arm was bandaged, blue liquid seeping through the fabric. Blue, not red._

 _The woman forced her hand down, and a calming warmth washed over her. She stopped screaming._

 _"Something horrible happened to you." Her eyes were filled with tears. "Do you feel it? Do you feel it in your soul?"_

 _She frowned, and then tried to understand what the woman meant. She looked past the pain of her body and tried to feel what was missing._

 _She felt dread again. She lifted her arm, and with a painful flick of her fingers, she tried to make the curtains move._

 _Nothing, there was nothing. But more blue liquid seeped through the bandage, and her arm felt worse, if that was even possible._

 _She felt the tears slide down her face. No. Where was her mana? Her magic?_

 _"Someone stole your mana, da'len. I am so sorry."_

 _Silent sobs shook her body._

 _"I found you alone in a cave." She smiled at her sadly. "I brought you here. Do you know who I am?"_

 _She shook her head._

 _The woman's smile grew. "My name is Andruil, da'len."_

 _She froze. She couldn't blink, couldn't breathe. She knew who the woman was now._

 _With a shaky, muffled voice, she forced her lips to move. "Lady Huntress…"_

 _Andruil, Goddess of the Hunt shook her head and gently grabbed her bandaged hand. "Shhhh, it's alright, don't speak. Do you know who you are?"_

 _She shook her head._

 _Her next smile was warm and comforting. "Then we're going to have to pick out a name for you, aren't we? That will be fun."_

 _Andruil brushed a tear from the corner of the amnesia-stricken elf's eye. "Rest now, you're safe here."_

 _She shook her head. She didn't want to sleep. She was terrified, and her skin burned like she was sitting in a fire._

 _Andruil moved to the unoccupied side of the bed and laid down next to her._

 _"Don't worry, I won't leave your side."_

 _And it was then, in that moment, that she decided she would die for her Lady Huntress._

* * *

 _They were laying in Andruil's bed. The Huntress was tracing her tattoos, starting with her shoulder, her finger trailing down her chest and stomach._

 _While she did that, she was murmuring, "you are my Rasdalalen. You are my protector, my lover, my executioner. You are mine."_

 _She smiled at her goddess, feeling her love in every bit of her soul. "Everything I am belongs to you."_

 _Andruil smiled. "And I am yours, Talyn. Obey me and love me, and I will give you the world."_

 _Talyn crushed her lips to Andruil's, relishing the sweetness of them. That kiss was a promise of devotion. She had never felt more at home than in this woman's arms, and she would do anything to stay there._

 _Andruil pulled away from her and reached behind her, pulling out a thin ebony box._

 _"I have a job for you, my love."_

* * *

 _"Don't kill me!" The woman begged, Andruil's vallaslin branded into her face. She was on the ground, dirt coating her skin and clothes. There was a cut above her eyebrow where Talyn had hit her with the hilt of her sword._

 _Talyn was sneering at her from behind her mask, and her grip on her sword tightened. This wasn't the first time Andruil sent her after an escaped slave, an Elfen scum._

 _"If you didn't want to die, you shouldn't have tried to escape." Talyn said, her voice like ice._

 _The Elfen slave spit at her. "Fine then, Andruil's Whore. Send me to my death. My soul will haunt you until the end of your days."_

 _Talyn stared at her, her head tilted to the side. She kneeled in front of the woman. She dropped her sword and grabbed hold of the woman's hair, jerking her forward. The woman cried out in pain. She stood, dragging the woman up on her feet._

 _She drove her armored hand into the woman's chest. She dug her fingers past the woman's ribcage and grabbed hold of her heart._

 _The woman choked and gasped, her eyes wide. She looked up at her, and Talyn could see her reflection in her eyes. She could see the cold, unfeeling darkness that would be her last image before she died._

 _Talyn tore her heart out of her chest. The slave's body dropped to the forest floor, the fist sized hole singed with blue._

 _She looked down at the heart in her hand and whispered to it, as if the Elfen woman could still hear her, as if she was trying to convince herself, "I am her talons. You are nothing."_

* * *

 _The next thing she saw was a silent forest cloaked in winter. Nothing could be seen, not even the moonlight pierced the dense canopy of leaves above her. But Talyn could see perfectly without it. Up ahead she saw a tall man walking, his footsteps leaving no impact on the snow beneath their feet._

 _Fen'Harel. She could tell it was him from the way his hair cascaded down his back in silky, raven waves._

 _The Trickster. The Dread Wolf. One of the Cursed. Fen'Harel was supposedly invincible. It made Talyn smirk, which made the mask of flesh and bone on her face tug at her real skin. Fen'Harel had never encountered Rasdalalen before._

 _She glided across the white blanket on the forest floor, her footsteps quick and light so she made no sound. She stalked him, blending with the night so he couldn't see her._

 _When they were far enough away from the palace booming with music and laughter, Talyn pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow into it. There was a faint glow underneath the glamour on her skin, traveling down her arm in little rivers and latching itself onto her bow. Her smirk grew as she pulled the bowstring back, and the arrow was lit with blue fire._

 _Fen'Harel stopped walking. He stood perfectly still, like an unmovable statue. She aimed for the back of his head, while the victory was already soaring in her heart. She would bring back his head for her Lady Huntress._

 _She let the lyrium infused arrow fly and watched in anticipation as it flew towards it's mark. She watched it break through his barriers, which fizzed out in a blue light._

 _Fen'Harel whirled around and caught her arrow just as it brushed his forehead. His gleaming silver eyes were staring directly at her from the shadows, his crown made from an animal skull standing out against the blackness of his hair. He smirked._

 _The silent forest suddenly burst with sound as ice sang its way through the air. Talyn dodged the ice shard, kicking up snow in her attempt. She felt the disappointment bloom in her heart that this would not be as easy as she thought, but it lit with fire at the challenge._

 _She was taking refuge from the ice shards behind a dark tree, her enchanted armor making it impossible to tell what was shadow and what was elvhen. She knocked two arrows into her bow, tapped into the lyrium that coated her veins, and quickly moved to shoot them at him._

 _She watched his cocky smile grow when the glowing arrows ignited and fell on the snow before they reached him._

 _She moved, keeping to the darkness, where she was safe from those starlit eyes. But she could hear him speak._

 _"Who is it that wishes to kill me this time?" Fen'Harel's voice was dark and silky, threatening, yet full of amusement. Like this was merely a game that he expected to win._

 _Talyn didn't respond. She watched him walk with his hands clasped behind his back, peering around every tree and then dancing to the next._

 _"Where are you, little assassin?" He sang in a mocking tone, "are you going to hide like a coward, or face me?"_

 _"_ Kill him for me, my love. Kill him before he kills me _." Andruil's words echoed in Talyn's mind._

 _She clenched her jaw and abandoned her bow, opting for the daggers strapped to her legs._

 _"I suppose that whoever sent you should have saved their money." He sighed dramatically, "it seems as though the man they hired has already failed."_

 _Talyn swept her way through the shadows, circling Fen'Harel so she was at his back. He was staring in the direction her arrows had come in, completely oblivious to her. She watched him lift his face in the air and heard him inhale deeply._

 _He laughed but didn't say anything else. He stepped forward, towards her last location. She used that as her opportunity to strike._

 _She finally emerged from the darkness and ran towards her unsuspecting victim. When she was close enough, she lifted her daggers and prepared to drive them into his back._

 _Then Fen'Harel turned around once more, a snarl on his face. He bared his fangs, and with one swift gesture of his hand, tree roots snaked their way underneath the snow to sprout up and wrap themselves around her ankles and wrists. The roots pulled her back, making her fly across the forest until she was slammed into the trunk of a tree. Her daggers had fallen to the ground._

 _Fen'Harel was standing in front her, staring at the face that didn't belong to her. He threw his head back and laughed again. Then he leaned in close to her, and one of his warm hands went around her neck. He squeezed lightly, and then his grip turned into iron, closing her airways. Choking sounds came from Talyn, and she struggled against her bonds._

 _"That was such a weak attempt, da'asha. Surely you could have done better than that."_

 _Her mask was contorted into a snarl, and she braced herself against the tree roots. She wasn't supposed to expose herself like this, not when she was wearing someone else' face, but she had no choice._

 _The lyrium shone underneath the glamour, muted but definitely there. The swirls of light cut through the tree roots and released her from their hold. With lightning speed, she grabbed a hold of Fen'Harel's wrist and crushed it in her grasp, forcing him to let go with a cry of pain._

 _Talyn's markings glowed even brighter as she threw herself into him, and they crashed into the ground. A snarl ripped through Fen'Harel. Talyn straddled his waist and pinned his good hand to the snow, while her other shining hand went around his throat._

 _A fraction of a second later, the warm glow of healing magic lit up the forest, and Fen'Harel was the one pinning Talyn to the ground. She could feel his power radiating from him, it made the glow of the lyrium more intense. His strength was pushing her body into the ground, leaving an imprint in the frozen dirt beneath the snow._

 _His smirk was both arrogant and knowing. "I should have known she would send you."_

 _She could see one of her daggers a few feet from where they were. Talyn grunted, calling upon her own strength once again to shove him off her. He went flying into a tree, the sound of the branches breaking off it echoed. Talyn was on her feet and scooping the knife up when Fen'Harel slammed into her._

 _They wrestled on the ground, both of them trying to gain the upper hand on the other. They were shrouded in a mist of falling snow that was disturbed during their fighting. Talyn's lyrium was so bright it was melting through the glamour and the mask on her face until the entire area was bathed in an azure light._

 _She finally had Fen'Harel pinned underneath her again, her sleek ebony dagger at his throat. Satisfaction and blood lust shone through in her glowing grin. He was motionless, his wrists were restrained with her other hand, and she was leaning over him, so the chestnut hair of her stolen face created a curtain around them._

 _She stared into his eyes that glimmered like the moon and found herself immobile as well. Her grip on his wrists lessened, but Fen'Harel didn't move a single muscle. He was staring into her eyes, as if he could see through this face that wasn't hers, right down to her very soul._

 _There was something so beautiful about him in this moment. His tangled raven locks were splayed across the snow like midnight lightning across a white sky, the skull crown on his head was slightly askew. She could feel his rapid pulse beat against her blade, but she saw no fear lingering on his face. In fact, his eyes were shining with something entirely different._

 _She pressed the blade down on his throat, a thin line of red trailing down his neck. But her hand was shaking, her entire body telling her no._

 _Fen'Harel stared at her in silence, as if he was waiting for her decision as well._

 _Something stirred deep inside her, and her own voice whispered in her mind, '_ mine _.'_

 _'_ He's mine _.'_

 _The shock of her own thoughts made her grip on her knife lessen, and it slid from her fingers to fall on the ground._

 _For the first time in her life, Talyn was helpless. She let Fen'Harel flip her, let him pick up her own weapon and hold the point over her heart. But she saw no intention of finishing her in his eyes. He was studying her false face, as if he was trying to sketch her true face beneath it. He buried his nose in her neck and inhaled. His fingers trailed down her throat, and stopped on the seam of her mask, which had been so well hidden by the glamour that covered her tattoos. Talyn's heart stopped beating as he started to tug on it. And she let him._

 _There was a chorus of howling wolves nearby, and Fen'Harel gently placed Talyn's knife in her limp hand. With the lightest of touches, he put a finger on her lips, and then leaned down to say in her ear, "run, little wolf."_

 _And then he was gone. Talyn laid there, her chest rising and falling quickly at the demands of her air-deprived lungs. She heard the sound of cracking bones, then the singing of another wolf, almost right next to her, rang out in response to the others._

* * *

 _A great beast stood before her, a midnight wolf with silver eyes. She had an arrow aimed right between its eyes, her own narrowed in anger. She stood in front of her kill, her present for Andruil for failing her in the cold winter months that had just passed._

 _The Dread Wolf snarled, baring his sharp teeth and his own glare aimed at her bow. She stared at him unblinkingly, and said in a cold voice, "give me one reason not to shoot you."_

 _The giant wolf tilted its head, and then shook it's fur out. Fen'Harel's bones started to break and reform themselves, his fur fell off him in clumps, revealing smooth alabaster skin beneath it. Then he stood before her as a man, his raven hair tied back in several braids. He was wearing clothes, which confused Talyn. She refused to let her gaze linger on his biceps that looked like they were going to rip the sleeves of his shirt. His face was even more handsome during the day, where the sunlight could illuminate his eyes that were as stormy as the sea. His full lips were twisted into an arrogant smirk._

 _"You won't let that arrow hit it's mark, Rasdalalen." He said matter-of-factly._

 _Talyn pulled back on the bowstring harder, aiming the arrow right between his eyes. She raised an eyebrow, but he couldn't see it within the blackness of her hood._

 _"You want to bet on that, Dreamwalker?"_

 _He stalked towards her, a challenge in his every move. Talyn watched him get closer to her, but her arm still held the bowstring._

 _"I'm going to do it."_

 _His laugh was deep and rich, like honey. "Then do it."_

 _Talyn chewed on her lip and let her arrow fly. It whizzed past his cheek, leaving a line of red blood, and embedded itself into a tree._

 _Fen'Harel threw his head back and laughed again. When he looked at her, his triumphant smile was blinding._

 _"You see? You won't kill me."_

 _Talyn growled in frustration and slung her bow over her shoulder._

 _He drew closer to her, forcing her to step backwards. His grey eyes were peering underneath her hood, trying to catch a glimpse of her face. Talyn leapt backwards over the dead bear, keeping a distance between them._

 _"Stop that!" She commanded him._

 _He laughed again, which made Talyn scowl._

 _"Stop it."_

 _He was grinning mischievously at her. "You're quite bossy, for a servant of Andruil."_

 _Talyn could still feel her vhenan's hands yanking her hair, her nails gouging out her cheeks. She remembered her beautiful green eyes that had been black with pain and rage. She still felt so much shame for failing her. Out of reflex, Talyn had her bow in her hand and was shooting an arrow at Fen'Harel in seconds._

 _He casually stepped to the side, and the arrow flew past him. He stepped over the bear and kept walking towards her._

 _"Someone's touchy about their mistress." He teased._

 _"What do you want?" She was irritated, hurt, and confused, and it bled into her voice._

 _He was suddenly standing in front of her, whether his sudden speed was from the perks of his Curse or his magic, she didn't know. All she knew was that Fen'Harel was towering over her, peering down at her, trying to see past the shroud of shadows her enchanted armor caused her to be._

 _She couldn't move, couldn't breathe. All she could do was stand there and stare at him while her heart tore itself apart at her sudden longing for him._

 _No. She loved Andruil._

 _'Mine.' That voice that was hers, and yet not hers whispered in her head. 'He's mine.'_

 _'No. Andruil is mine.' She argued with the voice._

 _"You feel it too, don't you?" He spoke quietly, his face soft and his voice gentle._

 _Her traitorous heart fluttered at his words, recognizing their meaning. Yes, she felt their connection. She could feel her soul reach out to his, desperate and blind. Her body reacted to him, her lyrium glowed in his presence. She grimaced as the blue light came from under her hood for him to see. He didn't say anything about it, but he did watch her with fascination._

 _"I don't feel anything but extreme disgust." Talyn did her best to make her words cut like knives._

 _Instead, he had another arrogant smirk paint his face. "If that was the case, your arrows wouldn't have missed." He leaned in. "Twice."_

 _He closed his eyes and sniffed her._

 _She scowled. "Stop it."_

 _He chuckled. "I'm trying to figure out what you smell like, but all I can smell is her."_

 _Talyn stepped around him and went back to the bear with her arrow sticking out of its eye. She pulled the arrow out and wiped the blood and brains on her leg. She stuck the arrow back in her quiver. Solas moved in front of her, blocking her from the bear. She stepped back so that he wouldn't look under her hood, but he kept making her back up, until she felt her back against the rough bark of a tree. He was so close that their chests were touching, and he was looking down at her with those hypnotizing eyes._

 _Talyn's pulse betrayed her, and she knew he could hear it pound against her skin. She stopped breathing, she couldn't bring herself to so much as blink._

 _"I know you feel it, Rasdalalen." Fen'Harel murmured, his mesmerizing voice putting her in a trance. "We're fated for each other."_

 _"No." Talyn insisted, but her voice shook with a sudden wave of uncertainty. "I belong to my Lady Huntress."_

 _Fen'Harel growled, his eyes turning dark and stormy. "You belong to me."_

 _Talyn closed her eyes, cutting off the spell Fen'Harel had seemed to put on her. But she still felt the longing for him in her bones, her hands itched to reach for him._

 _"I can't stop thinking about you." He said in a raw, ragged whisper._

 _Her eyes flew open to see that smirking persona diminished, and instead she saw the desperation in his face, the way he stared at her like a starving man._

 _"I know you can't stop thinking about me."_

 _She chewed nervously on her lip again and refused to answer. Because he was right, she couldn't stop thinking about him. She couldn't stop thinking of the way she had enjoyed him touching her, even though they had been fighting to the death._

 _He reached up, his fingers lightly grazing the edges of her hood._

 _"Let me see your face. Your real face."_

 _She closed her eyes and lifted her face upwards. She felt him grasp her hood and start to pull it over her head. She was content with letting him._

 _Then she came back to her senses and shoved him. Hard._

 _He fell a few feet away, and Talyn rushed to her kill._

 _"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to take my prize back to my Lady Huntress." She shoved down her confusing emotions and locked them in a box. Andruil was all that mattered._

 _"You belong with me, Rasdalalen. I will prove it to you." He promised her._

 _"Stay away from me." She warned him. She went to pick the bear up._

 _"You killed that in my lands." His voice had that sarcastic, teasing tone to it again. "It's only polite to pay me tribute."_

 _She scowled at him. This was the only time that she wished that he could see her face. She reached down and tore off the lower jaw of the bear. She threw it at him._

 _"There's your tribute. Don't come near me again, or I will kill you."_

 _Fen'Harel just grinned. "Oh, we'll see about that."_

* * *

 _So much blood._

 _It was everywhere. It painted the walls, pooled on the marble floor. She worked so hard to keep her face as unmovable as a statue, to not make the skin mask on her face crack with her despair. Her Savior was watching her, all of Andruil's court was watching her in a horrified silence._

 _She couldn't take her eyes off of the family she had just slaughtered in her own home. She couldn't stop staring at the little girl, her ruined throat still bubbling with blood, even though she stopped choking on it minutes ago. Her mother had her in her arms, her glassy eyes full of terror for her child._

 _The father had been first. There was a hole in his chest where Talyn had torn his heart out. He was still clutching her wife's hand._

 _"Do it, Rasdalalen." Andruil's voice was hard as stone and leaked with madness._

 _Talyn turned her face to Andruil, who was sitting on her throne. She was staring at her expectantly._

 _She bowed, and then turned back to the family lying in their own blood. She knelt in the puddle and pulled out one of her ebony daggers. She went for the mother and drew a line around her face with the knife. She pulled off the skin and placed it in one of the thin ebony boxes where Andruil kept Rasdalalen's masks. A slave took it away._

 _"This is what happens when you cross me." Andruil shouted for the entire room to hear._

 _She stepped down from her throne and walked over to Talyn. She kneeled in front of her, the lavender material of her dress soaking in the warm blood on the floor. She put her dainty hands in the pool, and then she placed them on the cheeks of Talyn's mask, her jeweled eyes smiling in satisfaction._

 _Talyn's stomach churned at the thought of that blood on her face._

 _"My Rasdalalen will punish those who betray me." She said._

 _In that pool of innocent blood, Andruil placed a kiss on her lips._

* * *

She was standing in a field bathed in moonlight. Wildflowers sprouted from the earth, adding color to the gently swaying emerald grass. She stood underneath the moon with her face lifted to the sky. It was so peaceful in this quiet world, where she felt the damp grass beneath her bare feet.

Her serenity was interrupted by a sound that made Talyn's skin crawl.

"Rasdalalen?" A child's voice was much too loud in this silent place.

She turned her head, dread filling her heart. The little girl from this morning was there, her brown hair soaked in her own blood, and the jagged cut Talyn had made with her fingers was oozing her life force. The girl's eyes were cloudy and bloodshot, her lips blue. She reached for her.

"Why did I have to die, Rasdalalen?" She asked, worms falling out of her rotten mouth.

Talyn shook her head and took a step back. "You're not real."

"You killed me, Rasdalalen." The little girl's tone was accusatory. "You made me watch my parents die, and then you killed me. Why did you do that, Rasdalalen?"

The child's brow furrowed, her cloudy eyes turned black.

"YOU ARE A MONSTER!" She roared at Talyn, bugs spewing from her mouth and flying towards her.

Talyn fell to her knees. She hugged herself as she rocked, tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She sobbed, repeating her apology over and over.

The little girl disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

She already knew that she wasn't alone in this nightmare of hers. She didn't have to look to know who. She turned her back on him, feeling her panic at how exposed she was. There was no hiding her face from him in this world.

"That's pointless, you know. I've already seen you." Fen'Harel stated.

She just shook her head. She couldn't deal with him right now.

"I understand why she keeps you all to herself." His voice was soft, and full of awe, "you are more beautiful than starlight."

She heard the crashing of waves, smelled the salt and felt the sticky sea air. But she didn't speak.

"The sounds of the ocean have always comforted me." Fen'Harel explained.

Still, she said nothing. She wanted to turn around and look at him, everything inside of her was telling her to do it. But she couldn't.

"I belong to Andruil." She finally whispered after what felt like an eternity of silence.

His growl rumbled deep in his chest. "Andruil, the woman who tells you to slaughter families?"

Talyn walked away.

"The woman who forces you to cut the faces from dead women and wear them? To kill their children in their stiff, lifeless arms?" Fen'Harel was walking beside her, his long legs keeping up with her easily. His voice was getting louder, his rage more prominent.

He knew. Of course he knew. All of Elvhenan must know her sin by now.

"She didn't do this!" Talyn shouted, turning to face him.

He looked just as magnificent as he had in that dark forest so long ago. He wasn't wearing a crown, and his dark hair was longer than she remembered. His silver eyes were shining in this dream world, where he truly was king. His face was wild with fury, and she could see the Dread Wolf lurking in it.

The scenery around them changed back to the bloody throne room. She pointed down at the corpses at their feet.

"I did this!" She cried.

She held up her tattooed hands. "My hands ended them. I stole their souls and tucked them into my pretty little boxes. I wear their faces, speak with their voices. I-"

"Did you choose to do any of that?" Fen'Harel countered. "Or did she-" he pointed at the throne, where the dream of Andruil sat motionless, "tell you to? Were your hands obeying her commands?"

Talyn threw her hands in the air and started to walk away from him again.

"You are her victim too, Rasdalalen." Fen'Harel appeared in front of her, like a spirit.

She stepped around him and kept walking. He blocked her, again.

"Just because she dresses you up and calls you pretty names doesn't make you any less of her victim."

"She loves me!" Talyn shrieked, her voice full of tears.

"Oh, she loves you?" Fen'Harel stepped closer to her, getting in her face, his silver eyes flashing with anger, a snarl on his full lips.

Talyn felt a spark of fear at the rage that twisted his face.

"Is that why when I watch your nightmares, I see her despicable face, and her hands on you? Are those cuts and bruises she heals afterwards signs of her affection? Is that what true love looks like?" He was mocking her.

She felt her face warm up. She scowled and tried to walk away from him. Everywhere she turned, he was blocking her.

She snapped at him, "my Lady Huntress is my vhenan, and she would give me the world if I asked for it."

"So would I." Fen'Harel was serious. His eyes stared into hers, the intensity and devotion within them overwhelming her. "I will give you everything you ask for, and my touch will hold nothing but love. With me, there will be no more violence, no more death."

Talyn turned her back on him and crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't want to hear his words, because deep in her heart, she knew they were true.

She could feel his chest against her back, and the ghost of his hands on her arms. He whispered gently in her ear, "I will be here every night until you know that I was made for you, and you were made for me."

* * *

 _The lake of starlight was glittering underneath the weak winter sun. Although it was cold enough for snow to be on the ground, she could see the steam from rising from the water. She had sneaked away from Andruil's palace with the excuse that she was hunting. In reality, she was waiting for_ him. _Fen'Harel. He was Solas only to those who were closest to him, those who knew what tragedies he had endured while the Banalla still reigned in the Wild Lands._

 _She heard him approach and turned to see him, her heart lighting up at the sight. She slammed into him and wrapped her arms around him. He lifted her and spun her around, burying his face in her neck._

 _"Talyn." Her Dread Wolf greeted her softly. She loved the way her name sounded on his lips._

 _She stepped out of his arms._

 _"Solas, Andruil suspects there is something I'm not telling her."_

 _He smirked. "She has always been paranoid."_

 _She shook her head. "We have to stop this, it's too dangerous."_

 _Solas growled. "You're_ mine. _Not hers."_

 _She threw her hands in the air, and felt tears prick her eyes. "I belong to her, Solas! I made an oath, and if I break it, she'll kill me! She'll kill Bri, and you, and she'll slaughter entire vil-"_

 _Solas closed the space between them and silenced her with a kiss._

 _He rested his forehead against hers, and his hands slid around her waist._

 _"Let me make this very clear," he said softly, "from the moment I saw you in Arlathan, I planned to take you away from her. There is nothing she can do to stop me."_

 _He started to beg, "I promise you that there is nothing to fear. Come with me, and I will never let her touch you again."_

 _Talyn shut her eyes and chewed on her bottom lip._

 _Solas' hands slid up her waist, her arms, and rested on her shoulders. One hand went loosely around her neck, where the seam of her mask could barely be seen. The other went to cup her cheek, and his thumb brushed away a tear that she hadn't noticed._

 _"Take it off." He whispered._

 _She shook her head. She couldn't, not here._

 _But she didn't stop him from peeling the skin mask from her face anyways. He did it slowly, as if he was waiting for her to stop him. Her hands closed into fists when she felt him pull it over her head._

 _"Look at me, vhenan."_

 _Reluctantly, Talyn opened her eyes._

 _He was staring at her like she was the sun. She felt her face warm up at the intense devotion she could see it his gaze. He ran his fingers through her pale hair, studying it in the sunlight._

 _"You were plucked from the night sky and made just for me."_

 _She felt like she couldn't breathe. She shut her eyes again, just to gain some control over herself._

 _He placed feather light kisses on her eyelids. "Little wolf, don't shut me out. Please."_

 _He grasped one of her fists and forced her fingers to open. He put her hand over his heart, where she could feel his steady heartbeat. She knew he could hear her erratic one._

 _"You are my world, Talyn. You are the missing piece of my life, the other half of my soul."_

 _She opened her eyes to look at him then. He smiled at her, and the sight of it made one of her own tug at the corners of her lips._

 _"Leave her, love. Leave her tonight and come with me. We'll get married and have babies-"_

 _"How many babies?" She whispered._

 _He grinned. "As many as we want. I'll kiss you every morning, and you'll eat breakfast in our bed-"_

 _"What if I want desert?" She asked, her eyes roaming down his body._

 _"Love, we can have desert all day if it'll make you happy." His grin turned wicked, and then his face softened, his voice started to take on a pleading tone again, "I promise that everything will be alright. I will take care of it. I will take care of_ you. _I will make sure that you never have to feel pain, or despair, ever again. Ar lath ma, vhenan. Ma'alasen. Please say yes."_

 _Staring into his eyes the way she was, there was no other answer. She couldn't ignore the way her heart whispered to her. She loved him. She loved him from the moment she decided not to kill him._

 _She didn't say anything to him at first. She turned around and walked towards the lake, taking off her clothes along the way. Once all of her azure swirls were revealed, she stepped into the liquid starlight. Once it was up to her waist, she dove in._

 _Solas was next to her when she came up for air. Immediately, her arms went around his neck and her legs around his waist. She felt the goosebumps form on her metallic skin as it hit the cold air above the water. One of his hands went under her, and the other went around her waist to keep her there._

 _"I'll need a day." She told him while she tangled her fingers in his raven hair. The ends of his hair looked like they were dipped in silver._

 _He gave her that arrogant smirk he made when he knew he won. She loved it. "Is that a yes?"_

 _Her kiss was all the answer he needed._

* * *

 _Bri screamed again, and it hurt Talyn's soul._

 _Andruil grabbed her by her hair and pulled her from the chair. She shoved Talyn's only friend towards the guard, who then threw her over his shoulders like she was nothing and walked out of the room._

 _She forced herself to remain calm, to not let Andruil win. She kept telling herself that Solas was coming. He was coming for her._

 _Her former lover had taken a turn for the worse. Her skin was ashen gray, her beautiful crimson hair looked oily and unkempt, and her eyes were black instead of green._

 _"You broke my heart, Talyn."_

 _She didn't flinch as Andruil led her to the blood covered chair by her own pale gold locks. She expected for Andruil to use magic for her lyrium-resistant shackles to separate and attach themselves to the arms of the chair._

 _She took even, deep breaths, and steeled herself for what was to come. She stared at the wall, refusing to look at her._

 _Andruil leaned down so that her face was inches from Talyn's._

 _"So, who is it, Talyn? Who stole you from me?"_

 _"No one stole me. I can't be stolen."_

 _She had to grip the arms of the chair to keep herself from crying out as she felt the knife stab into her._

 _"YOU WERE MINE! YOU SWORE TO ME!" She shouted at her._

 _Talyn didn't say anything._

 _Solas was coming for her. He would be here any moment._

 _Andruil screamed with rage at Talyn's silence. Talyn couldn't help her grunts of pain as Andruil drove the cold knife into her over, and over again. She climbed on top of Talyn, forcing her to look at her. For her face to be the last thing she saw before Death took her. As black dots swam across Talyn's vision as the pain consumed her, she saw Andruil's face splattered with blood._

 _And then there was the warm healing light that Talyn had come to know so well. Her pain was alleviated, for the moment, as her body stitched itself back together._

 _"I'm sorry, vhenan." Andruil whispered, her face twisted with grief and her eyes filled with tears. She started to stroke Talyn's hair with a bloody hand._

 _"You just hurt me so much. But we'll work through it. I'll learn to forgive you, and you'll learn to love me again."_

 _Talyn spat in her face. "I will never love you again. I curse your name! It will never leave my lips again for as long as I live."_

 _Andruil slowly wiped Talyn's spit off of her face. Her fingers left a trail of blood._

 _And then, without warning, she drove the knife into Talyn's belly again with another mad scream._

 _She didn't know how long she endured Andruil's excruciating torture, only that it was the worst pain she had ever felt in her life. With every enraged cut and stab, her hope of Solas coming for her faded. She would endure this for the eternity._

 _And then, a giant beast came crashing through the wall. Andruil turned her attention on the wolf, but it wasn't her Solas. This one was tawny, it's eyes a striking blue._

 _Andruil jumped off of Talyn to deal with the wolf, who charged her with everything it had._

 _Andruil hadn't healed her yet. She could feel herself bleeding out, and everything started to look so much darker._

 _Strong, familiar hands lifted her from the chair. She didn't have the strength to look at him._

 _"I'm here, vhenan. Hold on."_

* * *

 _"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Fen'Harel and Talyn." Zak spoke, his bulky frame taking up most of the archway._

 _Talyn was standing across from Solas, who hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire ceremony. She was wearing a sapphire gown, with a matching crown of silver and sapphire jewels sat on her hair._

 _Solas had his crown of bones on his head, and the jawbone of the bear Talyn had given to him in "tribute" was around his neck. He looked every bit of the god he was._

 _Her god. Her Dreamwalker, her Dread Wolf. It was actually happening._

 _"Now, I know a lot of you here aren't very approving of our good king's decision, especially with the war." Zak continued, "but if there is anything that should be fought for, isn't it love? Shouldn't we all fight for the freedom to love who we want, without some crazy feathered bunny bitch trying to fuck everything up?"_

 _Everyone laughed, including Talyn. It had been a good idea for Zak to do this._

 _"Fen'Harel and Talyn have a kind of love I have never seen before. It's the kind of love that's worth dying for." Zak was beaming._

 _"So, with the power our good Fen'Harel vested in me, I now pronounce Fen'Harel and Lady Talyn officially wolf-man and wife! Kiss the bride, you furry beast."_

 _Solas didn't stop for a heartbeat between punching Zak and scooping Talyn up in his arms. Talyn's joyful laugh was cut off by his kiss._

* * *

 _They were holding hands and running through the courtyard. Everyone was drinking in the main hall, which gave them the perfect opportunity to escape the festivities._

 _"Hurry, before they find us!" She giggled and urged Solas._

 _He pulled her into the griffon stables. "Relax, ma'alas'en. We'll be off the ground before they notice we're gone."_

 _Talyn climbed into Zephyra's saddle and stroked her golden feathers gently. Solas climbed in behind her and grabbed her reins._

 _"Brace yourself, wife." He teased her._

 _Talyn rolled her eyes. "I think I know how to ride a griffon, husband."_

 _He whistled, and Zephyra let out a lion's roar. She jumped into the air and caught the wind with her massive wings. Talyn shouted with joy, holding her hands out on either side of her like she had wings._

* * *

 _"My name is Talyn." She spoke loudly to the group of slaves in front of her, the vallaslin of Falon'Din burned into their faces._

 _They stared at her in wonder and fear. They watched Solas beside her, with his skull crown and his Pack at his back, the massive wolves who watched Talyn with pride shining in their eyes._

 _"I have many names. Rasdalalen, The Faceless One… Andruil's Whore. But I choose Talyn."_

 _She watched their faces pale as she announced who she was. Shame bloomed in her chest, but she pushed it down. She wasn't done with her speech._

 _"There was another name that I was called, in a time long before this one, when we Elfen still roamed our lands, when there were still some of us not trapped in chains."_

 _She reached down for Solas' hand, interlacing their fingers. She drew strength from his warmth, and comfort from the small circles he drew with his thumb on the back of her hand._

 _"I was once Tarasyl, daughter of Tarsula, our Sky Mother."_

 _The air was more charged now, surprise and hope replacing the fear on their faces._

 _Talyn swallowed her shame. "I was abducted three thousand years ago from the banks of the Siren's River, by Andruil. She stole my mana, my memories, and my soul. She branded me, lied to me, and twisted me into something I wasn't. I was supposed to be your Savior. I was supposed to rescue Tarsula and my fellow Banalla from the Beyond. But I did none of those things, and for that, I am sorry."_

 _She blinked back her tears. "I should have been there to protect you when the Evanuris came crashing into our lands and enslaved you. I can't change the past, but I am here now."_

 _She started to grow angry, the rage of what had been done to her people breaking through in her words. "We were once a proud and mighty people. And I promise you, if you follow me, if you follow Fen'Harel, we will be again. I swear to you that we will not stop until each and every Elfen soul is freed. We will not stop until the Evanuris are dead and our kings and queens are home."_

 _"We are the Elves of the North!" She shouted. "We are Elfen! Let us show our Elvhen captors what it means to be one! Let's go home, together!"_

 _Her people stood to their feet and cheered. They looked to her with their sunken in eyes, shook their scarred fists._

 _"Talyn!" They chanted her name. The only name she had ever chosen._

 _She looked at Solas, who was staring at her with all of the love she ever needed._

 _Soon, everyone would be free._

* * *

 _Pain wound around her body like a snake, gripping and squeezing her insides, making her very bones ache. It's tight hold on her mind and body nearly suffocated her. She could feel the poison moving sluggishly through her veins, turning them black, giving her blood a purple tinge. An arrow, the likely cause of her pain stuck out of her shoulder. With her free hand, she shoved the arrow through her shoulder, broke the arrow head off, and pulled out the shaft, with only a single grunt to signal how much it hurt._

 _She was a nightmare come to life. The full moon shone through the stained-glass ceiling, illuminating the lone woman standing among the piles of corpses. She stood in front of a pair of thick oak doors, a defender, a snarl etched into her fine features. She was covered in blood, some of it hers, some of it her enemy's. It dripped from the end of her warriors braid, running in small rivers down her alabaster skin and black leather armor. Her azure eyes glittered with a deadly determination._

 _Her muscles ached, her damaged arm nearly shook with the effort it took to hold her sword. Her bow had been discarded long ago, when she had run out of arrows. How long had it been since they invaded this temple? A day? Two? It felt like a century, but still she held on. The dead bodies of her fallen friends stared up at her with glassy eyes, a silent plea to end this once and for all. The make their deaths not be in vain._

 _There used to be others with her. Solas' followers, and the Elfen that they had saved from slavery together. They had been cut down like they were nothing but pieces of parchment, like fragile glass figurines. None of them had the pure stubborn will she had, and the fact she was standing here was all because of him. Her love for Solas knew no bounds, it made her stand here among the dead and dying when she should be giving in to the pain, screaming on the floor in utter agony as the poison took her. But all she could think about was his face, his hands leaving trails of fire along her skin. She lived for his smile, to see those dark eyes lighten, like a sea after a storm. She did this for him._

 _She knew she was going to die today. So she committed his face to memory, recalled his voice saying he loved her._

 _The venomous Huntress's men banged on the doors Talyn managed to bar. Something heavy thudded against them. She gripped her sword more tightly, the metal gleaming in the moonlight, an animalistic growl on her blood covered lips. She would die before she let her get to him._

 _The door started to crack under the weight of the heavy object they were throwing against the door. The mindless drones were going to come at any moment. They were mindless, because she had taken their souls. She whispered sweet nothing's in their ears, told them promises of fortunes, of safety, when she was the danger they should be guarding against. Elves prided themselves on their strength, their magic, and yet at the first sign of danger these pathetic people rushed to Andruil's side, begging her to protect them. Pathetic. They were pathetic._

 _The dam broke and the horde rushed in, screaming that vile wasp's name. Their swords gleamed wickedly, their armor in perfect condition._

 _Talyn screamed, a wordless cry for the thousands that suffered at her hands. An anthem for the dead, for the broken. She would not let anyone else suffer. Never again. She would go down in history as the madwoman who fought off a thousand men at the end of the world as they knew it. She just needed to buy Solas enough time to finish the spell that would lock away the Evanuris forever._

 _She slashed and stabbed. Limbs were cut off, noses wiped away with a flick of her deadly sword. She was a menace, a force to be reckoned with. Even wounded, poisoned, and exhausted, these well rested honey bees were no match for Fen'Tarasyl, the She-Wolf from the Sky._

 _But even she, the mighty Talyn, had her limits. Her vision swam, her head felt light. She felt like she was walking on clouds, as if this was a bad dream that she'd never escape. A tactical blow to her shoulder forced her to her knees, her sword clattering to the floor._

 _As quick as a lightning strike she was on her feet again, grabbing a man by the throat and digging her nails into his soft flesh. She bared her teeth and tore his throat out, snatching his sword from his hand as blood bubbled from his ruined throat and he fell to the ground._

 _She would not give up. She could not give up. He needed her to keep them at bay, to defend him. She would always defend him._

 _"Fenedhis lasa!" She shouted at them. Death would not pull her from her mission._

 _But then, the earth started to shake, and she could the scent of magic was thick in the air. The warriors around her started to move slowly, as if they were running through quicksand._

 _Then the sky exploded and was tinged with emeralds. She watched her enemies start to double over in pain, heard their shouts._

 _Her stomach churned and flipped as she started to spin._

 _Then everything turned black._

 _And she suddenly found herself in a room with a high ceiling. There was a sight in front of her that confused her._

 _There was a strange, shriveled creature tied to a post. She wore an odd hat that stood tall on her head. And there was another one, this one tall with red crystals sticking out of him._

 _There was another creature, one that looked like a younger version of the one tied to the post. They looked like elves, but their ears were short and round._

 _The third creature had jumped at the sight of her, and dropped a black, round stone. It made a soft thud when it landed on the floor._

 _She frowned. That was Solas' Foci._

 _"What's going on here?" She asked, stepping towards the Foci._

 _"Kill the elf!" the tall red creature commanded._

 _"Quick, warn the others!" The shriveled one begged._

 _Talyn reached the Foci and picked it up. Everything exploded._

* * *

 _She was running through darkness, a thousand insects at her back. The old woman, who had introduced herself as Justinia, was ahead of her._

 _"Quickly!" She cried as she climbed up the hill towards the green portal._

 _Talyn didn't dare look behind her. She caught up to the woman easily._

 _She reached the portal and looked behind her. Justinia had fallen behind, and the demons were catching up to her._

 _She went to run back for her._

 _"No, go! Save them!" Justinia shouted. "You must save them!"_

 _Talyn hesitated._

 _And then she nodded and put her fist over her heart. She leapt through the portal without looking back._

* * *

OMG YOU GUYS. THIS WAS SO MUCH.

I do apologize, because I DID post this chapter with chapter thirty, but then I reread it and I felt the need to make a few quick changes. BUT HERE IT IS YOU GUYS, THIS IS WHO TALYN IS. I'M SO FRIGGIN EXCITED RIGHT NOW!

So, I'm thinking about writing a prequel, just because this entire chapter came out to EIGHT THOUSAND WORDS and I had to cut out quite a bit. Would you guys like that?

Chapter Thirty Two if coming up!

C.J.


	32. Chapter 32

She woke up with a dry mouth and a head ache. Her eyes also felt dry and scratchy, but she forced them open. It was night time, the only light in the room was a small candle that was almost burned out. The room was foreign to her, it's stone walls were red, and the bed was far less comfortable than her and Solas'…

Solas.

Everything came crashing down on her.

Solas. Fen'Harel.

Talyn. Rasdalalen.

 _Tarasyl._

Hot tears filled her eyes, finally ridding her of that scratchiness.

Oh, _gods._ Her brain hurt with the amount of knowledge that was filling it, thousands of years' worth of memories and experiences. She only had pieces right now, but they were the important pieces.

"Talyn?!" A groggy Solas exclaimed, jumping from the chair he had been sitting in. He crossed the small space to kneel at the side of her bed, dark circles under his eyes.

"Are you alright?"

She looked at him, at her Solas, her Dread Wolf.

She thought of all of those times where he had dropped such obvious hints. In the Fade that they had created together. In Haven. And Skyhold… where she had slept alone in their bed for months, completely oblivious of the man who should have been beside her.

Solas put a hand on her cheek. And she angrily shoved it away.

"Get away from me!" She hissed, sitting up in the bed so abruptly her head spun.

She stumbled out of the bed anyways, nearly falling and catching herself on the bedpost.

Solas looked alarmed. "What's wrong, _vhenan?"_

She bared her teeth at him. "I don't know, _Fen'Harel._ Why don't we start with you lying to me?"

She watched him wince at the name, and his face went pale.

"You remember." He stated.

"Prove me wrong. _"_ She begged. Her voice was thick with tears now, the full force of the pain that she had been living with for so long squeezing her heart till it almost burst.

"Show me that it was just a dream. Tell me that you are not Fen'Harel, and I am not Rasdalalen. Tell me that we didn't… That I didn't…" She was choking on her own words. She couldn't finish her sentence.

"I can't." She could hear his regret, and his own pain.

" _PROVE IT TO ME!"_ She roared.

Solas looked away from her, at one of the bare walls that reminded her too much of dried blood. And then his eyes closed, and the cracking of his bones echoed in Talyn's memories. She watched him drop to all fours, watched his body grow and expand, his mouth elongating into a snout with dangerously sharp teeth.

The enormous form of one of Nak'Zur's Cursed stood before her, staring at her with sad silver eyes.

Nak'Zur. Her father, an Elfen Wolf God. A man who had taken innocent Elvhen children and infected them with a beastly Curse.

And her mother was Tarsula… a Dragon Goddess. High Queen of the Wildlands, far north of Elvhenan. Her homeland.

And the Goddess of the Hunt was her lover. A lover that she had slaughtered thousands of innocents for.

"Oh, no."

She fell to her knees and started to rock.

"No. No, no, no."

She buried her face in her hands, and repeated that word.

She hadn't noticed that Solas had changed back until she felt him try to hold her. She shoved him away and jumped to her feet.

"Don't touch me!" She shouted.

Solas looked hurt. She was glad. He deserved it.

"Talyn, I'm sorry I didn't-"

"You should be!" She spat at him. "You knew who I was all along, and you said _nothing!"_

"What should I have said, _vhenan?"_ Solas snapped back at her. "'Hello, I'm your husband. I thought you died, but you somehow ended up in my arms a thousand years later!'"

"YES!" Talyn burst with light with her anger. Solas didn't flinch.

"That is exactly what you should have said! You should have also mentioned the insane goddess currently plotting her revenge in the Fade! Or maybe the reason that our people are so broken now they don't know our language is because _WE MADE THE VEIL."_

Talyn's chest started to hurt with her ragged breathing. "Or maybe you should have told me that I have innocent blood on my hands. That I.." She had killed babies. _Babies._

It was as if a thousand boulders were crushing her chest.

"Oh, _Talyn,"_ Solas had so much sadness in his voice.

Solas reached out to her, but Talyn took another step back and shouted, "don't fucking touch me!"

She ran from the room, not giving him a chance to say anything else.

She didn't deserve his comfort. And he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

She could hear him running after her. She pushed herself harder, calling upon her lyrium to make her faster.

He grabbed her, forcing her to stop. A mixture of instinct and passion made her turned around and punch him in the face. He stumbled back, blood dripping from his mouth, but didn't let go of her arm. Instead he just pulled her with him. His eyes flashed, and he growled at her.

Talyn tried to pull her arm out of his grip, but with a quickness she _should_ have expected, Solas had managed to pin both of her arms behind her back and shove her into the wall. The stone was cold against her cheek.

"Let me go!" Talyn demanded, struggling against his hold on her. He used his magic to keep her still.

" _Fenhedis lasa, pala ma!"_ She cursed at him in Elvish.

Solas spoke low in her ear, "you can fight me all you want Talyn, but we've been through this before. You're my soulmate, my wife. _Ar lath ma, ma'alas'en!"_

There was a grunt, and Talyn was released from Solas' hold.

She didn't register what was happening until Cullen was standing in front of her, his sword drawn.

"Keep your hands off her." There was a threat in the Commander's voice.

A spark of guilt ran through her, and she wanted to correct Cullen, tell him that she had been the one who attacked _him,_ but she also wanted Solas to go away. So, she remained silent.

"Watch yourself, _Commander._ " Solas snapped back at him, "you have no idea what you interrupted."

"I know _exactly_ what I interrupted."

"Solas, just go." Talyn told him, although the fire that had fueled her a few minutes ago was diminished.

Solas stared at her with pain and uncertainty burning in his silver eyes. Yesterday, she would have said that she had never seen that look on his face before. But now that would have been false.

But Solas didn't say another word. Instead, his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, and he walked away.

Talyn was still leaning against the wall, her hands flat against the stone. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply through her nose.

"Are you alright, Talyn?" Cullen asked her.

She opened her eyes to see his sapphire orbs staring at her with deep concern. He put his sword away and reached for one of her hands. He looked at her wrists, probably looking for bruises.

"Did that bastard hurt you?" He asked her, his voice tinged with a possessive anger.

Someone saying the word "bastard", directed towards _Solas,_ enraged her. She ripped her arm from his grasp.

"No." She said curtly. "We were just arguing."

Cullen frowned. "That looked like one hell of an argument."

She got right down to business, completely changing the subject. "What happened, Commander? How long have I been out?"

He furrowed his brow for a moment, and then replied with a tone that matched hers, "you've been asleep for twelve hours. After you and the others fell into the rift and disappeared, the dragon wreaked havoc-"

"What are the casualties?" She asked, interrupting him.

There was a tightness to his eyes. "The Wardens took the heaviest casualties. Stroud… he didn't make it."

If it was even possible, another shard of pain stabbed through her heart. She hadn't known Stroud for long, but he had been a good man. She couldn't imagine how Hawke and Fenris felt right now.

"What happened to the dragon?"

That was when Cullen looked… nervous. "Well, Inquisitor… you walked through a rift, out of nowhere. But you weren't… well, you."

Talyn frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You were burning like a star. And you… well, you opened your mouth and breathed fire at the dragon."

She blinked. "What?"

Cullen continued, "the dragon isn't dead, but you hit it and it flew away. It was… well, it was the most magnificent sight I'd ever seen."

She almost snorted. Of course she breathed fire and didn't remember it. And she couldn't even blame the gods, because _she_ was a god.

She was a _goddess._

A goddess of fire, wind, and blood.

And her soulmate was Fen'Harel.

"Take me to the Wardens."

She wasn't allowed to dwell on this right now. The Wardens had to be dealt with.

The Wardens were outside in the desert sun. They had just finished putting Warden-Commander Clarel and the others to rest. She could see their crudely made headstones in the distance.

They turned their attention to Talyn once she arrived and knelt in the hot sand, their heads bowed in shame.

"You are Grey Wardens." Talyn spoke in a loud voice so they could all hear. "You kneel for no one."

They all looked shocked, but they rose to their feet. Talyn didn't continue talking until every single one of them were on their feet.

"Anyone else would have exiled you or executed you all for what you have done under Warden-Commander Clarel."

Talyn saw more eyes on the golden sand.

"But you were victims of Corypheus, nothing more. Just like we all are. You made an oath to defend Thedas against the Blight." Her voice grew louder, angrier as she recognized the echo of a speech similar to this one. "And wouldn't you all agree that Corypheus is a Blight on this world?!"

She could see their shame harden into fury, and a chorus of cheers was their response.

"He has caused so much pain and suffering. It's time that he pays for it!"

Their cheers grew thunderous, and it was then that she realized some Inquisition soldiers had gathered around to hear her speech. Talyn had to shout over them to be heard.

"Join us, Grey Wardens. Help us end this Blight, and when the very name Corypheus has been struck from the pages of history, we will help you rebuild what you have lost. You are the guardians of Thedas, and that will never change."

One of the Wardens stepped forward. He reminded her of Iron Bull without the horns. He drew his sword and planted it in the sand and bowed his head.

"I, Jordan Faye of the Grey Wardens pledge myself to your cause, Inquisitor Talyn. I give you my sword, and my life!"

Another stepped forward and repeated the same oath. And then another, and another, until everyone that was left of the Grey Wardens was bowing their heads.

Talyn grinned with a wicked satisfaction. Corypheus wouldn't stand a chance against them.

Of course, some restrictions had to be put on the Wardens, certain things that they had to agree to because of their ties to Corypheus through the Blight in their blood. But they were more than willing to accept the rules of their involvement with the Inquisition. They couldn't know anything that would benefit Corypheus. They would have to be kept in the dark, but when it was time for war, they would be there.

And if they couldn't ignore Corypheus in their heads… they had to die. Those were the terms, although it had pained Talyn to say the words aloud. But they had no objections. They understood why.

They stayed in the fortress in the desert, where they would wait to be called upon to fight. Some of the Inquisition would stay with them as well, to make sure that Corypheus didn't try to control them again.

Talyn and the rest of the Inquisition went back to Skyhold. During the trek back, Talyn completely avoided Solas. And Solas didn't try to speak to her, but she could feel his eyes on her. She knew that he would never leave her completely alone, and although she was furious with him, she couldn't help but take comfort in that.

Although it was hard at night, when she slept alone far away from the rest of the camp, and she was left to her own thoughts. She had thousands of years' worth of memories, and sometimes they would hit her like a brick to her face, and she would have to relive every tragic death she had caused, or every kiss from _her._

But she also had time to think about how she ended up in this situation, with Solas' Foci magic embedded in her palm. She needed to know, because even when there was no Veil, traveling through time was impossible. But somehow, she ended up escaping a fate worse than death by being pulled a thousand years into the future.

Talyn didn't return to Skyhold with the rest of them. She informed the council that she had to do something, and then parted ways with them to go to the Storm Coast alone. They had protested, but Talyn made it known she wasn't in the mood for a debate.

She knew that Solas followed her. Her horse was nervous the entire way, a clear sign that he was running as a wolf. She stopped, but her horse couldn't keep still.

"If you don't stop following me, Solas, I'm not going to miss this time!" She shouted into the forest for him to hear.

Her horse had calmed down, and she had continued her journey.

She didn't sleep or eat. She only stopped so her horse wouldn't die of exhaustion. Soon, she ended up at the door of a small house overlooking a cliff, the stormy waves crashing against it. She didn't like how the smell of the sea made her miss Solas.

Inquisition guards surrounded the house. They bowed and greeted her, and they unlocked the door with a key they all wore around their necks. The key that kept Alexius in.

She walked inside, her questions already on her tongue.


	33. Chapter 33

Alexius didn't look like a Tevinter magister anymore. Stripped of his titles and the blood red magister robes, he looked like an ordinary man. He looked tired, his hair was longer and he had grown a beard, as if he hadn't bothered with his appearance in months. He was sitting at a small round table, ancient books and scrolls scattered across it. A quick glance at the titles showed it was the research her and council had assigned him on the Fade.

Back when Talyn didn't know what she knew now.

His dark eyes narrowed at her, his lips were drawn into a thin line. He shut the book he was reading and stood to his feet.

"Inquisitor, it is an honor to have you grace my humble prison." He said sarcastically.

Talyn took off her cloak and tossed it unceremoniously onto the back of one of the chairs at the table. Then she took the chair Alexius had been sitting in and sat down. Her dirty boots went onto the table, right on top of his books. She took joy in the annoyance she saw on his face at that move.

"How's Felix doing, Gereon?" Talyn asked him with true concern.

If Talyn didn't hate Alexius' guts, she would have pitied him for the pained look that crossed his face. She smirked when she noticed that there was still the ghost of a handprint around his throat.

"He's resting." He said, his tone ending the subject.

Alexius waved his hand and the books underneath Talyn's feet were pulled out. They floated to the poorly made bookshelves that were against the wall. Then he sat in the chair that Talyn had thrown her cloak on.

"How can a lowly mage like myself help the mighty Inquisitor? Shall I brew you a love potion? Enchant your blades? Look into your future?"

She narrowed her eyes at his tone.

"I want to know about your time magic."

Alexius' grinned arrogantly. He leaned forward and folded his hands on the table. "Ah, so that's why you're here. Do you plan on reversing time, Inquisitor? Or do you just want to skip ahead to the future again?"

Talyn raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "How does it work?"

"A pinch of lyrium dust and a willing sacrifice." Alexius answered sarcastically.

She looked down at her nails and started picking the dirt from underneath them. "If you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll execute you in front of Felix."

Obviously Talyn wouldn't do that to poor Felix, but it ignited the fear in Alexius that she wanted. His face was pale with it. His eyes darted towards a door behind Talyn's shoulder, and he licked his lips nervously.

"There's something different about you, Inquisitor. There's a lack of the naivety that I had seen in you last time we spoke."

"Corypheus tends to squash the innocence right out of you." She leaned forward. "You want to see just how far my lack of naivety goes? Or do you just want to answer my question?"

His eyes darted to that door again, and then he spoke.

"How much do you know of your own culture, Inquisitor?"

Talyn shrugged, and lied smoothly, "only what I've heard from others. We were subjected to slavery and prejudice for over a thousand years."

He nodded. "Yes, that's right. But what of your gods? The Evanuris, as you call them."

She shrugged again. "All I know is that they abandoned us."

But they didn't abandon the elves. Talyn and Solas locked them away. And with that simple action, the two of them doomed their world.

"The Evanuris were so powerful, because they created these orbs known as Foci. They were built with an immense amount of power inside of them, power that could only be used for certain things."

Like creating a Veil. And walking through the Fade.

"So, you found one of these Foci? And it allows you to travel through time?"

Talyn couldn't remember any of the Evanuris owning such a Foci.

"No, not exactly. Some tweaking had to be done to it."

"So you adjusted an ancient elvhen artifact to use it for your own desires? And you didn't destroy it?"

Alexius chuckled. "Oh, no, I absolutely destroyed it. Not on purpose, but magic that ancient is unstable. Only a sliver of it was left, but it was only a sliver that I needed. I turned it into an amulet."

Back when they were in the future, Dorian said that he needed the amulet around Alexius' neck.

It took all of Talyn's will to not let loose the rage inside of her. He desecrated a holy object _for power._

"Whose Foci was it? The one you destroyed?"

It was his turn to shrug. "I pulled it from a ruined temple dedicated to your Elgar'nan. I assume it was his, long ago."

It all clicked for Talyn then. The Tevinter worm had stolen the All Father's Foci, the one he used to freeze time, and turned it into a time traveling device.

The rift she had walked out of, the one that had appeared moments before Divine Justinia was to be sacrificed… it was because Alexius had used that magic to keep time still. And because of her connection to Solas, and it was Solas' Foci that was being used to rip open the sky…

By the Nine, it wasn't _her_ connection to Solas. At the same time that Solas was creating the Veil, a thousand years into the future, his Foci was being used to undo it. The rift had appeared because Solas had been in the heart of Skyhold, when Corypheus and Alexius were in the Temple of Sacred Ashes.

It should have been _Solas_ who walked through that rift so long ago, not Talyn. That was how she survived that catastrophic night. That was how she ended up in his arms again, when she should have died.

"May I ask why you're so curious, Inquisitor?"

Talyn stood to her feet and donned her cloak.

She responded, "I'm only saying this to you because no one will believe a word that comes off your diseased tongue."

She walked over to Alexius, who was still sitting, and stood behind him. She put her hands on his shoulders, and when she felt him try to stand, she shoved him back down into his chair. He was looking straight ahead at the door that must have led to Felix's bedroom. She saw him curl his hands into fists, as if he was trying to restrain himself.

"In the Redcliffe castle, when you sent Dorian and I into the future, that wasn't your intention, was it? You were trying to erase me from time so that I never interrupted Corypheus' ritual."

"Yes." Alexius answered honestly.

"But it failed. Do you want to know why?"

"Yes."

Talyn squeezed his shoulders, and she didn't miss his wince. She leaned down so she spoke in his ear, "my lifeforce is so embedded into the fabrics of time, that it would take a thousand mages to erase me from it. The blood that flows through me is far more ancient than you will ever understand. I was killing long before _he_ was even a glimmer in his mother's eye. Know this, Tevinter. Your "Elder One" is no match for _me_ and my Dread Wolf _."_

Alexius didn't move from his seat, even after Talyn shut the door behind her.

"I want more guards on him." She instructed the two men standing by the door. "I want two inside with him at all times. He is to have no privacy, _at all._ Am I understood?"

"Yes, Inquisitor!" They responded.

Talyn traveled back to Skyhold with no difficulty. No bandits attacked her, she didn't run into the bulk of Corypheus' army. There were a few rifts left over from when the Breach was still in the sky, but Talyn took care of those easily enough. She refused to sleep, so when her horse needed to rest, she went out looking for trouble.

So when she went through the gates of Skyhold, she looked like a bloody wraith. Even her pale golden hair was glistening with liquid rubies. She dismounted her horse and handed the poor beast to a stable hand. She couldn't look at the stables, because all she could see was the massive structure that used to house Solas' griffons.

She didn't look up at the battlements, because she could see the ghost of her friends patrolling, looking out for signs of the Evanuris. They had been ready for anything.

And they died anyways.

She caught a glimpse of Solas standing outside of his study before she looked away. She couldn't look at him either, because she couldn't see the worry in his eyes. She didn't deserve for him to care for her. She didn't deserve anything.

"Can you please find Cassandra and Leiliana for me? Tell them to meet me in the garden, as fast as they can." She said to a servant.

"Yes, M'Lady." The man said before swiftly leaving to find them.

Talyn should have went to her room immediately to bathe. But instead, she went to the garden to wait for Leiliana and Cassandra. She sat on a bench, and within a few minutes they were both walking towards her.

"Inquisitor, are you alright?" Cassandra asked with alarm.

Talyn plucked at her bloody hair. "Yeah. None of this is mine."

"What is it that you wanted to tell us, Inquisitor?" Leiliana asked.

"When I was in the Fade with the others at Adamant, I managed to recall some of my memories?"

Leiliana smiled. "Oh, that's wonderful news!"

"I don't remember much," she lied, "but… when I was in the Fade, the first time, and you told me there was a woman behind me? A woman you all thought was Andraste?"

Their faces started to fall. "Yes…" They said.

"It wasn't Andraste. It was Divine Justinia."

Cassandra had to sit on the bench beside her.

"What… what did she say?" She asked.

Talyn had remembered the night before that there had been more to what happened between them than what she originally thought. It was something urgent, something she had to say to them right away before anything else could be done.

"She said that I had to save Thedas. And she also said… to tell Leiliana and Cassandra that she was sorry."

Leiliana sniffled, and Cassandra held her head in her hands.

"Oh, Divine Justinia… there was nothing for you to be sorry about." Cassandra whispered, mostly to herself.

"I just thought that you should know." Talyn stood to her feet.

"Talyn… thank you." Leiliana said sincerely, before taking her spot next to Cassandra.

She walked away with her conscious clear… at least, concerning her promise to the human Divine.

She wanted to go to the tavern and have a drink with Iron Bull, to catch up on what she had missed since the last time they had _actually_ spoken. But now that she had told Cassandra and Leiliana what they needed to know, it was time to bathe.

* * *

I know this one is kinda short, but I didn't want to make it _too_ long, and the next chapter is gonna be juicy and filled with Solas/Talyn angst xD

Also, I'm planning out the prequel! I also recently started playing DA:2 again, and I've suddenly become inspired to write a DA:2 fic. It's going to have absolutely NOTHING to do with the FT universe, but just so you guys know, it's totally gonna be a thing. And it's probably gonna be about Hawke and Anders.

So, FT is also gonna have a sequel, but I want to post the prequel first because a lot of what I'm planning with the sequel involves characters from the prequel. When I post the next chapter, I'm gonna post the first chapter of the prequel so you guys will get to have a peek at it! But don't expect any more chapters until FT is done. I'm trying really hard to finish FT before I move onto other projects, but my mind is racing and it's sooooooo hard not to talk about it with you guys!

So, I'm sorry about how long it takes me in between chapters, but just know it's because I'm trying to sort out all the ideas I have for not just FT, but three other fics. Lmfao.

Let me know what you think of FT so far, guys!

And as usual, thank you all so, SO much for all of the faves, follows, and love you've shown Talyn! Her story wouldn't have continued if it wasn't for all of your guys' support!

C.J.


	34. Chapter 34

She should have known that he would be waiting for her. She walked out of the bathroom with a comb in her damp hair and saw him standing in front of the open doors that led to the balcony. A blizzard was starting to grow, and snow was flying into the room behind him.

She put her comb down and stood in front of him. Goosebumps formed on the bare skin that wasn't covered by her clothes.

He had taken the glamour down. She had forgotten how magnificent he was. His mana poured from his skin in a soft, shimmering light, and his silver eyes were bright with it as well. His features were sharper, it showed the wolf that was lurking under his skin.

The double doors closed behind him. Silently, he grabbed her waist and pulled him to her. Talyn wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his shoulder. He held her tight enough to crush her ribs, but she didn't protest.

"I'm sorry I punched you." She mumbled.

He tightened his hold on her and buried his face in her hair. She heard him breathe in deeply.

"I should have expected it." He responded in a muffled voice, "you _did_ tell me to leave you alone."

That just made the guilt clinging to her soul heavier.

"I hurt you. I'm worse than _sh_ e is! _Ir abelas, ma vhenan! Ir em abelas ma-"_

"Shhh." Solas shushed her gently. He let go of her and took a step back. His eyes were narrowed in anger.

"I don't want to hear you say that ever again. _Sh_ e was a monster. You could never be like her, not even if you tried."

Talyn wrapped her arms around herself and looked out the window, at the mountains that surrounded her sanctuary. The home of Fen'Harel, left to rot for a thousand years.

"Then why do I feel like I am?"

Solas sighed in frustration. He gripped her chin and turned her head so she was looking at him.

"Do you remember when Mythal died?" He asked her.

Flashes of a midnight wolf blinked behind her eyes, his eyes red with his blood lust, and foam seeping through his deadly teeth.

"You lost control of the wolf." Talyn said.

Mythal had been the only maternal figure in Solas' life. Losing her had been horrible for him. It was completely understandable.

Solas' fingers formed claws, and he put them on her shoulder. He lightly dragged them in a diagonal line down her chest. His face was grim, and regret burned in his eyes.

"It had taken over completely. I lashed out at you, and my claws dug deep into your chest. Anyone else would have died from a wound like that. You had every right to kill me.

"Instead, you hit me hard enough to knock me unconscious. I barely woke up in time to heal you before you bled to death."

"Solas, that wasn't your fault."

He flashed her a smile, but the pain didn't leave his eyes. "I _am_ to blame for that. But you forgave me, and we moved on. You and I are one of a kind, _vhenan._ We're beasts in elvish skin. We have strong emotions, and sometimes it gets bloody. It's just our nature. What we are is completely different from what you and _sh_ e were. You were forgiven the moment it happened. So let it go, _ma vhenan."_

Talyn still felt guilty, but now that she had apologized for what she had done, it was time for Solas to give her answers.

The most important question in the world bubbled on her lips.

"Solas... What happened after the Veil?"

His face twisted with shame. "I went to look for you. But all I found was a graveyard. I searched every face, but I never found yours. I thought that you had somehow been trapped with the others. I thought that I..."

He couldn't seem to get the words out. Talyn reached out to him and took his hands. She hated the pain his memories were causing him, but she needed to know.

His voice dropped to a rough whisper. Even with her particular abilities, she could barely hear him above the wind that was rattling the frosted windows.

"I thought I killed you."

He looked down at their entwined hands. "After that, I chose _uthenera._ I couldn't stay and guide our people into the new world, not without you by my side. But without us to protect our home, our people... they suffered great tragedies."

Everything that the two of them had tried to save their people from had ended up happening again because Talyn had traveled a thousand years into the future. Solas' pack, her friends... they died for _nothing._

Talyn closed her eyes.

"Oh, gods..." She whispered. "What did I do, Solas?"

"The fall of Elvhenan is not your burden to bear. It is mine."

She thought back to what the fear demon had said to Solas.

 _Does she know your greatest sin?_

She opened her eyes and ripped her hands out of his grasp.

Her words were angry. The venom wasn't directed at him, but at herself. "I was the one who convinced you to stage a revolution. All of those lives are on me."

Randomly, she felt something tug on her shirt. She looked down and saw that that top button of her shirt was undone. As she was staring at it, the one underneath it undid itself as well. As if by magic.

She gave him an incredulous look.

"Really, Solas? I'm talking about some horrific shit over here and you're taking off my clothes with your mind?"

He smirked. "Would you like to do it? Because I'd love to watch."

Another button popped open.

She fought a smile. "I know what you're doing _._ It's not going to work."

She missed that mischievous sparkle in his eyes. It had been too long since she saw it.

"I'm not doing anything but staring at my beautiful wife. Who is still not naked."

There were four more buttons to go.

Her lips were twitching with the smile she refused to let loose. "So morbid subjects turn you on, now? That's a little strange _vhenan."_

 _"_ What turns me on is the woman who I haven't seen in _days._ I've been good. I didn't even visit your dreams. Don't I deserve a reward for that?"

She broke, and let out a laugh, the previous conversation temporarily forgotten. She placed her tattooed hands on his chest and started pushing, forcing him to walk backwards. He didn't fight it.

"Oh, I know exactly what you deserve."

She didn't stop until the back of his knees hit a chair and he was forced to sit. She stood in front of him, and reached for the last remaining buttons on her shirt. Slowly, she undid them one by one and let the material slide off her shoulders to fall to the floor. A warmth spread through her lower body as she watched his playful smirk turn into a primal look of desire.

He grabbed her waist and tried to pull her to him, but she slapped his hands away. He frowned, so she leaned down and rested her hands on the arms of the chair. Her lips hovered over his.

"You wanted to watch, didn't you?" She teased.

He went to kiss her, but she straightened her posture before he could. She hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her pants and peeled them off of her, just as slow as she had been with her shirt.

A low, gentle growl left Solas' lips as he caressed her body with his eyes.

"Come here." He demanded.

With a smile, she ignored him and started to dance for him. The beat of a long forgotten song echoed from her memories, and she moved her body to it's rhythm. The more time she took, the more desperate he looked. Every time he reached for her, she slapped his hands and told him to be patient.

When she finally straddled his lap, she felt his need for her, and it only strengthened her own. The moment his fingers brushed against her skin, her breath hitched. She kept moving her hips, and it didn't take long for Solas to finally break.

"I can't take it anymore." He growled.

Within seconds, he lifted her and they crashed onto the bed. Talyn flipped them so she was still straddling him, and she placed her hands on either side of his head. She leaned down and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

"It's _my_ turn."

She dug her fingers into the material of his shirt and tore it off of him. His shredded clothes fell in a pile on the floor next to the bed.

* * *

You guys, something horrible happened.

I was a dumb ass and spilled soda all over my laptop. So I lost everything that I hadn't already posted. I'm so mad at myself.

Thank you for you patience, Talyn loves you 3

C.J.


	35. Chapter 35

"Ow!" She rubbed her head where she hit it against one of the bedposts, a laugh on her lips.

"Solas, I have to go."

The world outside was black, save for the white snow that lit up the ground, even without the light of the moon. The blizzard had died down, and since Talyn decided to spend the day in bed with Solas, she had wasted precious time. She _should_ have called a council meeting the moment she arrived. That was what the Talyn from a month ago would have done.

But this Talyn, with her memories fully restored, _needed_ to be alone with him. Despite the fact that they had been together since Halamshiral, this time it was different. _They_ were different. She knew who she was now, and the truth was more darker and terrifying than the Talyn from a month ago could have ever guessed.

When she was in his arms, she was home. He chased away the darkness that clouded her soul and kept her from going over the edge of insanity. And she knew that she meant the same thing to him. And she had left him for a thousand years to wander this world alone. She couldn't imagine what she would have done if their places had been reversed.

She probably wouldn't have bothered with the Ancient Ways. She would have shoved a dagger through her heart.

The bed was ruined. The headboard was on the ground in pieces, and only three of the four bedposts still remained, their surfaces marred by claw marks. Feathers were floating gently in the air from the torn up mattress they were still on, and the blankets were little more than shredded pieces of cloth now.

Both of them had bruises and scratches all over their skin from their lovemaking. If it could even be _called_ that. They looked like they had been in a fight.

She was sitting on the edge of the bed, and he was still lounging in the mess of feathers. He was holding onto her hand. His grin was wolfish.

"You're not allowed to leave this bed. I'm not done."

She laughed again. "We've been at it like animals all day, _vhenan._ Are you ever going to be done?"

"Never."

She leaned over and kissed him.

"I would love nothing more than to spend days in this room with you. Unfortunately, Corypheus isn't dead yet so that's going to have to wait."

He sighed dramatically and let go of her. "Fine, go be responsible and have your meeting. I'll be waiting."

She planted another kiss on his lips and stood to her feet. She started to put her clothes back on.

"When I'm done, we need to talk."

He grinned and swept a hand over the messy room.

"I thought we already talked."

She threw a pillow at him. He caught it and added it to the pile under his head.

"We were in the _middle_ of talking when you distracted me with sex."

He laughed. "It's not my fault you're so easily distracted."

"Actually, it is, because you knew exactly what you were doing."

She had her hand on the doorknob. She turned her head to look at her Dread Wolf one more time.

" _Ar lath ma, ma alas'en."_

" _Ar lath ma. Hurrah_ _ahnna tu ma."_

Hurry back to me.

She left before she decided to never leave this room again.

It was so strange, standing around the war table with the others. She had so many secrets locked inside of her, knowledge that she had to pretend she didn't have. And Cullen wouldn't stop looking at her as if she kicked his puppy. She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed his stares until now, or realized what he had meant in Halamshiral. He hadn't just called her beautiful that night, he had been confessing his feelings in his own way.

In another world, in another lifetime, Talyn might have chosen Cullen. He was kind, and honorable, and not terrible to look at. But she belonged to Solas, and he belonged to her. She could never give Cullen what he wanted. And he couldn't give her what she needed. So he was just going to have to learn to let go of her eventually.

"My spies have confirmed that the bulk of Corypheus' army is somewhere in the Arbor Wilds." Leiliana started.

"Do we know what he's doing there?"

"All we know is that he is looking for ancient elvhen ruins. His purpose for such a place is still unclear. But it can't be good."

"The Arbor Wilds is where the Fifth Blight started. Could it have something to do with that?" Cullen asked.

"Considering the fact he's one of the first darkspawn, it probably does." Josephine confirmed.

"Just because the Fifth Blight started there doesn't have to mean it's why he's in the Wilds." Cassandra argued.

"I know what it is your Corypheus wants." A fifth, unwelcome voice interrupted.

Talyn turned to see Morrigan saunter into the room with arrogance in her every step. She looked like some wild creature plucked straight from the forest, her liquid gold eyes were bright against the dark, skimpy clothing she wore. Feathers decorated her shoulder, while a staff made of gnarled wood was strapped to her back.

Talyn scowled. "I didn't say you could come in here."

She hadn't spoken much to Morrigan much. There had been no need to. She only accepted her help because the Empress had offered her to be the Orlesian liaison, but she already had someone who was a master in the arcane arts. She had Solas.

Talyn didn't know why she didn't like being around Morrigan. It wasn't like the human woman had actually done anything to warrant it. There was just something _off_ about her.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow at her tone.

"Perhaps you will forgive me once you hear what I have to say. I know what it is he wants in those ruins, because once upon a time, I was after the same thing."

"What does he want, then?"

Morrigan turned her back to her and started to exit the room.

" 'Tis better if I show you."

So Talyn left the council meeting and traveled down the halls of Skyhold with Morrigan.

She was hit with a painful memory when they walked into a room that once belonged to Zak, a member of Solas' Pack. She could still see the ghosts of warm light and a hundred potted plants lining the walls.

But now it was grey and dusty, empty of the light it once held. The only object in the room was silver mirror that stood as tall and wide as a door, it's surface grimy with age.

Talyn blinked. How the hell did Morrigan drag an _eluvian_ into this place without her knowledge?

"What is it?" She asked Morrigan.

"How much do you know of your own people?" She asked her in return.

"Not much." Talyn lied smoothly.

She understood how frustrated Solas must have felt this whole time, pretending that the knowledge he had didn't exist. Having to listen to people who barely understood the past clumsily explain it to him.

"This is an eluvian, an ancient elvhen artifact that dates all the way to the days of Elvhenan."

"A relic of my people..." She didn't have to fake the wonder that laced her voice. She didn't think that she would see one of these again.

"What does it do?"

With a flourish of Morrigan's hands, magic lit up the room and the surface of the eluvian rippled like a pebble dropping into a pond.

She watched Morrigan walk right up to the mirror, and then walk through it. She followed her, and braced herself for the familiar tingling sensation that came with crossing into the Road.

The world around her was blanketed in a thick fog. The sky above them was equally as gray. And all around them, eluvians filled the void. They were planted into the ground, like delicate trees. Some were black, others were broken. But they were still standing.

"Is this the Fade?" Talyn asked, although she already knew the answer.

"No, but it is dangerously close. The ancient elves left no roads, no signs of travel between temples hiding in the corners of the world. This is why."

"So... these mirrors are like portals? What is this place?"

"I call it the Crossroads. It's like a world in between worlds."

Talyn stopped herself from smiling. She was close.

"So if Corypheus had access to this place..."

"He could enter the Fade in his physical form." Morrigan finished for her.

She wondered which temple was hidden deep in these Arbor Wilds, which one of her enemies followers they would encounter this time. Alexius had already ruined Elgar'nan's Foci with his stupid meddling. Corypheus defiled Solas' with his touch alone.

So which Evanuris was going to play a part in destroying the world this time?

She was disgusted that even though they were imprisoned in another dimension, their touch still lingered on the earth. Even a thousand years later, Talyn would never shake the filth they had left on her skin.

"Well, I guess we're going to the Arbor Wilds." Talyn said.

"Lovely." Morrigan said with a hint of sarcasm. "I'm finally going home."

"I don't need you to come."

The last thing Talyn wanted was to travel with Morrigan. She turned to go back to Skyhold.

Morrigan through back her head and laughed.

"I grew up in the Wilds, Inquisitor. 'Tis a dangerous place, even for one so skilled in the arts of death. If you want your army to survive, you need me."

Talyn paused.

 _Fenhedis,_ the strange mage might be right. She knew the Arbor Wilds was where the Fifth Blight started, and that it was a terrifying place filled with witches and cannibals. Or so the stories she heard said. She didn't know what she was walking into.

"I'll think about it."

She left Morrigan alone in the Road.


	36. Chapter 36

Talyn had returned to Solas, only to find him sound asleep. The feathers were gone, the bed was intact once more. She crawled into bed with him, and closed her eyes with a smile on her face.

 _He found her in the Fade. She was in her meadow, and the night sky was twinkling with stars. She was sitting on the edge of the cliff that overlooked the sea, her legs dangling in the air. He sat down next to her and she rested her head on his warm shoulder. He put an arm around her, and pulled her closer._

 _"So, you said we weren't done talking." Solas started._

 _"I still have questions." She responded._

 _"Then ask them."_

 _"What happened after you woke up?" She started._

 _"I traveled. I went from the far reaches of Tevinter to the Free Marches, I wandered the Graves, and I spoke to the elves. The city elves had completely forgotten our way of life, and the Dalish..."_

 _He paused for a minute, and his face twisted into a mask of rage._

 _"The Dalish had distorted it so much that they wear brands on their faces, completely ignorant of their true meaning. I tried to teach them, to show them the truth... but none would listen to me. They refused to believe that they had been wrong. And I couldn't tell them who I was, because of what they believed me to be. A devil."_

 _She understood his anger and frustration. She felt it herself. She thought back to the Dalish Keeper she had met on their way to Adamant. How he had said that Andruil had created Rasdalalen from stardust. How none of them seemed to know that Rasdalalen wasn't a servant of the Evanuris. That Rasdalalen wasn't a god, but a demon._

 _Some of them had seemed to feel the truth. Some Dalish had been furious with her arrival at their camp. But most had seemed nervous, intimidated. Fascinated. It sickened her._

 _Solas continued, "I decided that they weren't my people. That I was the last of my kind. So I kept wandering, and my anger only grew at the way these people of Thedas viewed those who possessed the most natural aspect of nature. I went to the Conclave. I was curious, hopeful that mages would no longer be persecuted for what they were born with."_

 _"Then Corypheus burned the temple to the ground." Talyn said._

 _"Yes, he did. And you walked out of the rift. You collapsed in my arms, your hand burning with our Anchor."_

 _His voice was full of hushed wonder._

 _"For the first time in my long life, I actually toyed with the idea of the Maker existing. I had searched for you in the Fade for so long. I even went to where Elgar'nan and the others were imprisoned-"_

 _"You do realize how stupid that was, right?" Talyn interrupted him. "You could have died."_

 _He let out a low laugh. "Yes, and I almost did. But I didn't care. I just wanted to find you. But you weren't there. You weren't anywhere in the Fade. I never found your body... it was like you had just vanished. So when you appeared in Haven, I thought for sure that it was the Maker's doing."_

 _Talyn was waiting for him to finish his story before she dove into the tale of how she figured out what happened. Why she had disappeared._

 _"But you didn't remember me. You didn't remember anything. You have no idea how frustrating it was to have you so close, yet so far away."_

 _"Why didn't you tell me the truth?" She asked. "In Haven. Before any of this happened?"_

 _"I was afraid you wouldn't believe me, or if I forced the memories your mind would break from the weight of them. So I dropped hints instead."_

 _"You told me our story with the mural. You showed me our wedding."_

 _He nodded. "I wanted you to remember. But at the same time I didn't-"_

 _"You didn't want me to remember Rasdalalen."_

 _"Are you going to let me talk?" He teased._

 _"Sorry." She responded with a smile. "Continue."_

 _"Yes, I didn't want you to remember your life as Rasdalalen. Or Andruil. You finally free of that darkness that you always held in your eyes. I didn't want your peace to end."_

 _She lifted her head from his shoulders. "But I had no peace, Solas. I had bits and pieces of questions with no answers."_

 _"Can you deny that you were better off not remembering?" He countered._

 _She shrugged. "I suppose I can't. Before Adamant, I never imagined that I was capable of such... evil."_

 _She looked at her hands in her lap._

 _"You didn't know better." Solas comforted her. "She manipulated you from the beginning, Talyn. You have to forgive yourself for that, or it's going to tear you apart."_

 _"Andruil's Star, Andruil's Executioner, Andruil's Whore!" She snapped at him. "I wore those names like a badge of honor. I was proud to serve her, to carry out her monstrous demands. I did know better. I can never forgive myself for that."_

 _"Yes, you can. Because you're not that person anymore."_

 _How had they gotten back on the subject of Talyn's guilt? It was a never ending argument. She was tired of hearing it._

 _So she changed the subject. "I know what happened. I know why I disappeared, and ended up in Haven."_

 _So she told him the story of how she went to Alexius. How he had managed to warp Elgar'nan's Foci, destroying it in the process. And she told him of when she got pulled in the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and how she had seen Alexius there._

 _"What I dont understand is why I was the one who got pulled into the future and not you. It wasn't my Foci."_

 _He immediately corrected her. "Actually, it's ours."_

 _Talyn frowned. "I don't have mana, Solas. I can't create a Foci."_

 _He smiled. "My magic gave it a purpose, but it was your blood that gave it life. Why else do you think you managed to survive the Anchor?"_

 _That troubled Talyn deeply. Why didn't she remember that? It seemed like a pretty important detail, the fact that her life force was directly connected to the reason the world got screwed._

 _He must have read the look on her face because he continued. "You have more than a few thousand years worth of memories. And this isn't the first time you lost them. They'll come to you in time. There's no need to panic."_

 _They fell into a comfortable silence after that._

The next morning, Solas was gone. But he had left her a note telling her he was in his study. He wanted to dive headfirst into his books. He found it troubling that Alexius had managed to warp Elgar'nan's Foci, and he wanted to find the location of the others.

She threw the note into the fire, and then left the room.

She wanted to seek him out, but she kept herself from doing it. He wasn't the only important person in her life, and she needed to pay a little more attention to her friends.

She sought Iron Bull out first. They had a lot of catching up to do. She hadn't had a real conversation with him since Skinner and Dalish died.

She heard the sound of something solid hitting flesh as she went behind the tavern, followed by a series of grunts and muttering about demons.

Cassandra was taking a wooden board and slamming it against Bull's abdomen. Every time it smacked against his skin, Bull growled.

"You like that, huh? Scary ass demon got stuck in the Fade! I'm the Iron Bull! YEAH."

Talyn watched Cassandra roll her eyes, and hit him again.

When she saw her approaching, Cassandra stopped hitting Bull and shoved the board into her hands.

"Here, it's _your_ turn." She said before walking away.

Bull grinned when he saw her.

"Hey, Boss! Haven't seen you for a few days."

She held up the board.

"Didn't know you were into pain, Bull."

He chuckled. "Oh, you have _no_ idea. But that's just a Qunari fear exercise. Adamant was..."

His face darkened. "Rough."

' _You don't know the half of it.'_

She wanted so desperately to tell Bull everything. Everything she discovered about herself, about Solas. But now wasn't the time. She didn't know if there was ever going to be a good time to tell a truth that no one would believe.

"That fear demon looked a little like you, Bull." She teased lightly.

Bull touched the long horns that stuck out form his head. "My horns are scarier, thank you very much."

She laughed, and took the board. She turned it sideways, and slammed it flat across his chest.

And he went flying into a stone wall.

She dropped the board and ran over to him. She couldn't help but laugh at the look of surprise on his face. A tiny rock bounced off his head.

"Still scared?" She asked with that laughter still in her voice.

She held out a hand to help him up.

"Yes, but I'm not scared of demons anymore, _Boss."_

He took her hand and she helped him back to his feet. There was an Iron Bull sized dent in the wall now.

She went back to the board and handed it to him.

"My turn."

"What do you have to be afraid of? You just threw me into a wall!" Bull protested.

She grinned. "Exactly!"

He shook his head in disbelief. "You're starting to show your crazy, Boss."

"Says the one who comes from a people that makes other people hit them with boards."

He muttered something that Talyn pretended not to hear, and he hit her. She gasped and stumbled backwards.

The sting of the blunt object seemed to clear head. She felt like she could finally breathe. Maybe the Qunari weren't that crazy after all.

"Again." She said.

Bull raised his eyebrows. "Seriously? I just hit you with everything I had."

"Do it again!"

He hit her again, and she laughed.

He dropped the board. "Alright, I was actually hoping I'd run into you because I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

"My superiors would like your help with something. This favor you would be doing for them would help solidify an alliance between the Inquisition and my people," he added before he continued, "on the Storm Coast there are some Vints and Tal-Vashoth that need to be taken care of. They asked for me, and for you, to do the job."

"Of course I'll help, Bull. We need all the help we can get with Corypheus. When will we be leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning, at first light."

She smiled. "Fantastic. Now I need to ask _you_ for a favor."

"What is it?"

"Have you paid much attention to Morrigan?"

Bull shrugged. "She seems harmless enough. Shes arrogant, and secretive. Like someone else we both know."

He gave her a pointed look.

"But I don't think she's plotting on overthrowing the Inquisition anytime soon."

"Would you mind keeping an eye on her? I don't know what it is, but there's something off about her. I'd feel better if a Ben-Hassrath kept tabs on her."

"I know what you mean. She gives me a weird feeling. But she's not nearly as strange as her son."

Talyn was surprised. "Son?"

He laughed. "You need to pay attention more, Boss! You'll meet him soon enough. But yes, I'll keep an eye on her. "

Then he said with a suggestive smile, "now that business is out of the way... You and Solas, huh?"

She returned the smile. "You and Dorian?"

"He's a Vint, I know. But I love him." He smiled back. Then his smile dropped. "However, you and Solas are an odd pairing. I thought you'd go for Cullen."

"Cullen?! No way." Talyn rolled her eyes. "He's like a puppy."

"Ah, and the quiet, brooding mage that doesn't seem to have any connection to another living soul but you is any better?"

"Not even a Ben-Hassrath can understand Solas, Bull. We're more alike than you think."

It was the truth. Talyn and Solas were more complicated than anyone in this entire fortress could ever understand.

"Whatever you say. But Cullen told me about the "argument" you guys had in Adamant." His voice was sympathetic, which seemed so unlike him. "I don't understand why you'd keep him around after that."

She was going to kick Cullen's ass.

"Cullen only saw what he wanted to see." She snapped at him. "I'm pretty sure he's in love with me."

He barked out a laugh. "I'm glad you finally noticed! I've been watching him watch you since Haven. But that doesn't change what he said about what happened."

Talyn let the guilt saturate her voice. "I'm the one who attacked Solas. I punched him, and Cullen showed up right when he restrained me. So if there's anyone that needs to be judged, it's _me."_

Bull nodded his head. "That does make more sense than what Cullen said."

She asked bitterly, "did he tell anyone else?"

"Your council, Varric, Hawke, and Fenris."

She let out a growl. "Spread the word that he got the story wrong. _Please."_

 _"_ On it, Boss."

She stomped away from him then. All other thoughts of visiting her friends were out the window. Now it was time to confront Cullen.


End file.
